She drew a deep breath before continuing. “It’s so new to feel this way about it, and I’m still processing. The trial opened wounds that I’ve been trying for years to heal, and somehow, that itself was therapeutic, because for the first time, I realized Iwashealing. Speaking it out loud and facing him changed something in me. I’m not going to let it have power over me anymore.”
She turned toward the sunset. “John was sentenced for his crimes. Would I have liked to see him get a harsher punishment? Absolutely. But I also got this sense of closure, and that was more than I felt I could ever ask for. I feel a tremendous relief that I’m finallyjustified.I’ve been called a liar my whole life, yet people believed me when I told them about this. That was all I wanted, in the end.”
That was such a relief to hear. I didn’t want her to hurt anymore.
“I’m here for you every step of your journey,” I told her. “I may not have been there at the trial—”
“But youwere,” she interrupted. “You watched the trial all day, and you were there for me when I got back. You may not have been therephysically, but you were there for me, like you always are.”
“I wanted to be there to hold you when you got off that stand.”
Ava gently brushed the hair out of my face and whispered, “So hold me now.”
An intense sense of desire came through our bond, and I wasn’t sure if it’d come from her, or me, or both of us. I curled her in my arms, then gently laid us both down.
Ava giggled, like my touch tickled her. “It’s like a dream here.”
I smiled. “I never let myself think of the future much. It’s strange, having dreams.”
“It’s strangenothaving them,” Ava said. “I’ve always used my imagination. Problem is, my imagination is sometimes bigger than life, and that gets me into a lot of trouble.”
“I’ve always admired that about you,” I told her. “You always believed anything was possible. I was so focused on surviving the next day that I never let myself entertain the possibilities. What’s strange is that it took going to prison for me to finally accept the possibilities. It took meetingyou.”
“You don’t have to justsurviveanymore,” Ava said gently. “This time tomorrow, we’ll be on a boat, and on our way to a new home. When we get out of here, Charlie, I’m going to show you how to live.”
“You already have. I may be locked up at the Institute, but I’m not locked up inhereanymore,” I said as I tapped the side of my head. “The guy I was before never would’ve thought of breaking out, because he wouldn’t think it was possible.”
Ava took my face in her hands. “Anything’s possible when we’re together.”
I kissed her gently, and Ava’s lips parted. She didn’t let go of me, and I didn’t want her to. She tugged me closer, and I carefully climbed on top of her. I kissed her over and over again, and passion built inside our bond. My heart hammered as I took in my wife’s sweet scent and delicious taste.
“Kiss me,” Ava begged. “Everywhere.”
She didn’t have to say anything else. I could feel the wanting through our bond and knew exactly what she needed. I was eager to oblige. All I wanted was to pamper her— to shower her with love and show her thatnothingwould ever hurt her again as long as I was around. When she was in my care, she would always be safe.
My kisses trailed down her body. Ava tilted her head back, taking in shallow breaths as I pressed my lips to her skin. My hands slid under her skirt, roaming over her soft skin.
Ava’s skin grew hotter from her Fire magic, and I could feel desire pulsing through her. I pushed her skirt upward, until it was around her middle. Ava’s fingers roamed through my hair as I ducked my head and pleasured her with my tongue. This wasn’t the playful, rough sex we’d had over the past few months. This was gentle and sweet, though it surged with passion that made my heart pound like a drum in my chest. Her moans were like music, keeping in time with my heartbeat. It seemed we’d composed a glorious tune inadvertently.
We fell into sync with one another, and the composition seemed to move in a pattern. We played out verses and choruses with the rhythm of our bodies, going from soft and sweet and to intense, then back again. We did this over and over again as passion built up inside our bodies. I didn’t know how long it lasted, but I didn’t want it to end. Then the song transformed into a bridge, until reaching a crescendo that peaked with Ava’s climax. She tugged my hair lightly, begging me to fill her with my love. I undid my pants, then slid into her effortlessly, moving to the rhythm of the gentle harp above us. It was slow, and I felt every intoxicating sensation as I slid in and out of her.
I wanted to go longer, to never let this beautiful dream end, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I spiraled into an earth-shattering orgasm, and she gasped as I filled her all the way up.
I sagged into the cloud beside her, and Ava leaned over to run her hands over my chest. “You’re always gonna be my safe place.”
“That’s what I’m here for. You’ll always be safe with me.” I couldn’t do anything to defend her during that trial, but I damn well could make sure she would never have to go through anything like that again. It was behind us now. I’d made peace with how badly she’d been hurt, and how powerless it had made me feel to know I couldn’t change it, but what drove me on is knowing we had a future together, despite everything that had happened. I’d do everything I could to make sure I could give her a full life from now on, because my wife deserved it.
We remained in the clouds a while longer, before deciding we should get to dinner before the cafeteria closed. I floated Ava down from the clouds and set her back in her chair again. Oberi squawked from the clouds, like she didn’t want to come down.
“Time to go, Oberi!” I called up to her.
Oberi grumbled in our minds, but she swooped down and landed on the back of Ava’s chair.
“What do you want for our future, Ava?” I asked as I pushed her out of the room. We were actually getting out of here, and I liked this idea of dreaming and planning for what was ahead.
She thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know. It’s hard to think of life outside of the prison, one that doesn’t have to do with all these prophecies.”
“One day it’ll end. Then what are we going to do?” I asked.
