Soultrade

by Arizona Tape

  I cranked the window open and the sweet scent of nature filled the car. Collectively, we took in a deep breath as the refreshing wind played through our hair. We definitely weren’t in the city anymore.

  A forest loomed up in front of us, but Devon didn’t falter. Without any hesitation, he steered the car into a deserted trail. The car shook and shuddered as we thundered through the trees and even I worried about Ayra. But Devon didn’t seem concerned and so I decided not to critique him on it. He never responded well to that.

  The car came to a halt near a massive open field. With a soft hum, Devon parked and the motor fell silent. He cracked his neck and looked at us.

  “We’re here, ladies.”

  “Right.” Jolted back into action, we shook the drowsiness out of our limbs and climbed out of the car. I caught Devon opening the door for Ayra and smiled. They were so perfect for each other.

  “You okay?” I turned and hummed in contentment as Sian’s thumb swiped over my cheek. There was a tenderness in her eyes that curled my stomach in all kinds of knots.

  Speechless, I nodded, leaning into her touch. Devon might be perfect for Ayra, but Sian was my kind of perfect. Happily, I pressed a kiss on her lips. The way her mouth curled up in a smile, electrified me in the best way possible. I could never get enough of her kisses.

  “Alright, cut it out love-birds!” Ayra giggled, even though she was also melting under Devon’s kisses.

  “You’re one to talk,” I countered, stealing one more peck from Sian’s lips. She intertwined her fingers with mine and curled the behind her back, drawing me closer to her. Not that I minded. Not in the slightest.

  “So, what are we doing here in this beautiful field of nothingness?” I asked Devon, wondering if he lost the plot.

  “Ah, this is where we take flight.”

  I flapped my arms aimlessly in the air. “You do realise I can’t fly, right? Neither can Sian.” I laughed at his exasperated look and pretended to soar through the sky. “This is the closest I’ll ever get, Dev. You know that.”

  Sian shook her head and pulled me towards her. “Ah, but we can fly!”

  I stopped and stared at her in awe. “Really??”

  She laughed. “No, we can’t. But your face was priceless,” she teased, kissing me softly on my temple. Her coral scent tickled my senses and I chuckled under her touch.

  “That was mean. But you’re cute, so I’ll forgive you.”

  My blondie curled her arm around my waist and I melted into her. It was a little strange to display our affection so openly, especially in front of our exes, but it seemed even more unnatural to hold it back. Especially when Devon was so clearly doting over Ayra and their egg. I would bet he talked to the egg in her stomach when they were alone.

  “Alright, but seriously, Sian and I can’t fly.”

  Devon turned to Ayra. “We can. And we have big backs?”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “I’ve refused to fly on you for twenty-five years. What makes you think my answer will change now?”

  “You have to.”

  I shook my head, pride colouring my decision. “No, I’m not flying on you.”

  “Tate. You don’t have a choice.”

  “Devon, I will not.” It was bad enough that I was never able to shift on my own, riding on Devon’s back was even more humiliating.

  “Tate.”

  “I said no.”

  Stubbornly, I tore out of the intense gaze. A sharp pang shot through my stomach and I doubled over. Thud. Thud. Thud. A crippling pain brought me to my knees and my heartbeat pounded into my skull. A shadow of the pain I felt in my dragon form washed over me and left a metallic taste on my tongue. Blood. My blood.

  Spots danced in front of my eyes and I dry-heaved. Another wave of pain crashed over me and drowned out Devon’s concerned voice and Sian’s panic. Huh, weird. I never had both of them flip out at the same time. It definitely was strange to have them in the same place.

  Cramps tightened my stomach and I produced an unearthly wail of pain. I could feel it, I could actually feel the egg ripping through me. How was this possible? I was in my vampire body, right?

  I ran my tongue over my teeth and caught my fangs.

  Yes, I was in my vampire self. So why—

  “Fuck!” I screamed, pressing my hands against my stomach. The pain was excruciating. I wanted it to stop, I needed it to stop. I didn’t want to be torn open from the inside out.

  A moment of clarity brought the voices of Sian, Devon, and Ayra back. The spots lifted and I could breathe again.

  “Tate?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “What’s happening?”

  I couldn’t even make out who was saying what. A new wave of searing-hot pain shot through my stomach and more black spots danced in front of me. The pain relented for a moment and my vision cleared. Ayra was lying on the ground, curled up in a ball.

  Wait, no. That was me. I swapped and pushed Ayra into my pain-riddled body. No, that wasn’t right. I didn’t want her to hurt in my place.

  “Ayra?”

  She looked back up at me, her eyes clear and focused. She gave me a thumbs-up and I breathed in relief. She was okay.

  I patted my stomach and found the egg bump. Yes, I was definitely in the dragon body. And it wasn’t hurting me as much as—

  Like thunder and lightning, pain struck into my spine and I buckled down. The same cramps as before rolled back over me, but only ten times as harsh. Knocked down to my knees, the dry grass tickled my palms. I coughed and blood splattered onto the ground.

  Fuck, that was not good.

  Pressure built in my stomach and this time I was sure. I was tearing open. I must be. There was no way I was in so much pain without anything actually happening.

  No, I couldn’t tear open. Not now. Not here. Not in this body.

  I pressed my tremblings hands against the bump, prepared to feel blood gushing out of me. My sweaty palms met the dry fabric of Devon’s old shirt and I was surprised to find my stomach in one piece. It was tense from the egg, but not more than usual.

  What was going on? Why was this happening? Why wouldn’t it stop?

  Another wave crashed over me, drowning out the world. Sian disappeared and all I was left with, was pain. Excruciating pain. Unmeasurable pain. The skin around my stomach shrieked and this time, I was sure. I was tearing open. This egg was coming out and I couldn’t stop it, it would rip straight through me.

  “Make it stop,” I howled, not sure who I was begging for it to stop. I wasn’t even sure if someone could. More black spots danced in front of me, and exhaustion floored me mercilessly.

  The earthy scent of dirt penetrated my senses and then it was gone. The world flashed around me and just as sudden as it came, the pain disappeared. Shaken, I touched my stomach and was met with hard muscles instead of the bump. I was back in my own body.

  Scared of what I did to Ayra, I refused to look up at her. I shut my eyes and prepared myself for the blood bath.

  “A-Ayra?” I breathed, my voice breaking from the strain.

  “Tate, are you okay?” Warm hands wrapped themselves around me and I recognised Sian immediately. I fell into her embrace and finally dared to look at my twin.

  “I’m okay. Just a bit shaken.”

  I studied the woman opposite of me. Apart from the dirt on her hands and the puffy eyes, she looked okay. She was rubbing her stomach like before, but there was no blood apart from what I coughed up. No torn skin, no early egging, no half-dead Ayra.

  Tears burst from my eyes as I realised she was okay. “Thank fuck for that,” I howled, surprised by how concerned I’d been for Ayra. Even if I didn’t know her, I deeply cared for her wellbeing and that of her egg. Even more than I expected I did.

  Devon crouched down next to her and helped her on her feet. She brushed the grass from her shirt and wiped the blood from her lips.

  “Are you alright, Tate?” he asked me, but only once he was certain she was okay.
>
  I patted my stomach again, just to make sure it really was fine, and nodded. “Yes, I seem to be.”

  Sian wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me up. “Are you sure?” she asked, her voice hoarse in worry. I nodded and rested my head against her shoulder. Everything about her was reassuring and it helped calm me down.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Fuck, you had me so worried.” From the tight embrace, I could feel the tension in her body. Guilty over making her panic, I pressed a soft kiss in her neck.

  “I’m okay,” I murmured, licking my chapped lips.

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded, breathing in her comforting scent. “Yes, I promise.”

  Devon cleared his throat and gently touched my arm. “You okay, Tate?”

  I gave him a weak smile, glad the sun was falling from the sky. The sunlight was hurting my eyes. “Yes, I’m okay, Dev.”

  He sighed in relief and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I pressured you.”

  Nonchalantly, I shrugged, happy to feel the strain ebb out of my body. “It’s not your fault. Nobody controls the swaps.”

  “But still…”

  “You didn’t do this. Let’s not argue. You were right, we need to get a move on.”

  Hesitantly, he pointed at himself. “But the flying…”

  I looked at Sian and pushed my pride aside. She deserved better than this. So did Ayra, and so did Devon. We already lived too long in limbo and it needed to stop.

  “You better shift, Dev. Let’s fly.”

  Relief glinted in his eyes. “Thanks. You better move back a bit.”

  Warned, I grabbed Sian by her wrist and pulled her backwards with me. “They get quite big.”

  Sian breathed, excitement visibly coursing through her. “I’ve never seen a dragon.”

  “You haven’t? You’re in for a shock.” Gingerly, I flexed my arms. The pain had left almost no trace and it was hard to believe I’d been in such an excruciating pain only minutes ago.

  “A little bit more,” Devon waved, moving us further away from him. Sian clamped her hands around my arm and giggled.

  “I can’t believe I’m going to see a real dragon.”

  “You’ll see two,” I smiled, turning to Ayra. Huh, this was the first time I would see my body turn into a dragon. I shook my head in amusement. Oh what my child-self wouldn’t have given to see this. How I dreamt of this moment.

  The wind danced through my hair and then abruptly, stopped. As if time stood still in the open field, everything paused. Afraid to disturb the spectacle in front of me, I held my breath. It just felt appropriate.

  Devon and Ayra shed their clothes and weirdly enough, it didn’t feel weird. Not even knowing Sian was watching them too. But what we were about to witness was something so pure and magical, not even a little nudity would take away the beauty of it.

  Lovingly, they held each other’s hands. Devon whispered something in her ear and Ayra laughed. At least, I assumed she did. I couldn’t hear anything besides the blood rushing through me.

  A gust of wind practically knocked me off my feet as Devon expanded out of his body and exploded into the magnificent blue dragon he’d always been. Sian gasped loudly and dug her nails into my skin.

  “Woah…”

  He was gorgeous, there was no denying it. But I wasn’t interested in him, I’d seen him shift many times before. No, I wanted to see Ayra. I wanted to see me. The dragon that I carried with me for all my years, the dragon that I could never release.

  A different wave emitted from her and right in front of me, she burst into a whirlwind of blue scales and silver tips. The same colours I used to find in my eyes decorated her skin and everything about her reminded me of the lake I grew up in. The lake all my ancestors were born from and returned to.

  She truly was an Orrin. Beautiful, elegant, brilliant. A real dragon.

  With a low rumble, she turned her head towards me. The last light of the sun reflected in the silver markings swirling over her scales and I was in awe. She was absolutely breathtaking.

  As if I wasn’t in control of my body, I moved towards her. A little voice in the back of my head told me it probably wasn’t a good idea to touch her, but I couldn’t stop myself. Not even if I wanted to. I wanted to touch her.

  Ayra sank through her legs and brought her head down so I could pet her. Next to her enormous body, I felt so small, so humbled. Amazed, I placed my hand against her cool scales and shivered. Slowly, I traced the Orrin sign on her snout in an ancient tradition that my parents should’ve done to me, but never could.

  “You’re beautiful,” I breathed, admiring all the markings on her body. She was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

  Devon gently nudged her with his head and she melted into him. He was just a shade darker than her, but from the silver pattern crossing their scales, it was clear they were meant to be.

  Beautiful. Utterly, painstakingly beautiful.

  I turned to Sian and smiled from the amazement dancing in her eyes. She was just as awestruck as I was, if not more so.

  “Aren’t they gorgeous?”

  She tore her gaze away from them and faced me. “You’re right. Gorgeous.”

  A smile curled my mouth up and I took her hand. Excitement coursed through my veins from the prospect at hand. Devon laid flat on the ground and beckoned us with his head. Exhilarated, I briefly wondered why I never said yes before. This seemed like the best idea ever.

  With Sian’s hand gripped tightly in mine, I faced her.

  “Ready to fly?”

  Chapter 8

  Part of me felt I should have offered to take Sian on my back, and leave Devon with a lighter load. Which was stupid. He’d never have let me take anyone, even if I wasn’t pregnant. But now, his focus was definitely on protecting our egg. As it should be.

  I tried to behave though. Doing tricks around him and the two vampires wouldn’t be very nice of me. Even if I was tempted. There was something about being up in the air, with the wind whistling past my scales, and the roar in my ears, that just made me feel so alive. Almost as much as when I was diving into the water and splashing around with Devon.

  Maybe our egg resting in the water wouldn’t be such a bad thing. If I was living up there, then I’d have an excuse to shift, and fly, and swim, every single day. I was sure Devon would join me too. Though he’d have a longer commute to work. That sucked. But even for him, I wouldn’t be giving up my egg’s safety.

  Not a chance.

  I gave in to the urge to do a trick, and looped myself over, and eliciting a small scream from Tate. I gave her a dragony grin, but all she did was cling to Devon more tightly.

  Should I be jealous over that, I wondered. I didn’t think so. Devon didn’t want Tate. At least, not like he wanted me. And more importantly, not like Sian wanted her.

  It would all work out perfectly in the end. I could imagine visiting the two of them. Bringing our child with them. Their aunts Tate and Sian. I’d try and make them god parents, but somehow I didn’t think Tate’s actual parents would be okay with that. It’d also involve telling them about our peculiar situation.

  Oh well, problems for another day. I probably shouldn’t even be thinking about such domestic things mid-flight. This was a time for joy. For exhilaration. For adrenaline.

  Not for my body twin’s parents.

  I let out a cry, and did another loop of myself. This was a lot of fun. I could definitely do this every day.

  An urge I’d only felt a couple of times, welled up inside me. Flames. I opened my mouth, and let them out, the crackling filling the air. This time, Tate screamed louder, but the sound of my fire drowned her out. She was fine anyway, I was blowing them off in the completely opposite direction.

  I wasn’t an idiot.

  Though I did have to wonder why the urge was so strong. Maybe it was something to do with how long I was in dragon form? It’d been well over an hour, and normally, I’d shifted back by now to be with
Devon.

  Speaking of, he gave me a look that said I should stop it. If only I could stick my tongue out at him in this form. Wait...I had a tongue, so why couldn’t I?

  Testing out my theory, I flicked my tongue out of my mouth and into the air, finding it instantly dried out by the wind.

  Oh. Right. That was why I shouldn’t stick my tongue out mid-flight.

  A smirk pulled at Devon’s lips, revealing his sharp teeth. Let him laugh. I’d bet my left wing that he’d done something similar while he was first learning to fly too. It seemed liked a Devon thing to do.

  I batted my wings again, lifting myself a little further into the air, but flying just behind Devon. He knew where we were going, whereas I was pretty clueless. But I trusted him. I always would.

  I landed as gracefully as possibly, which was to say, not very gracefully at all. But it didn’t matter, there was no one except the other three to see, and two of them weren’t even dragons. They wouldn’t even know how much of a hash of it I made.

  Hopefully.

  I transformed back into my human form, grabbing Devon’s shirt from the bag Sian had placed on my back before we’d set off. Maybe I should have felt exposed stripping off in front of them all. But realistically, Sian and Devon had both seen me naked before, and this had been Tate’s body for twenty-four and a bit years, it wasn’t like she didn’t know. Ergo, no reason to feel exposed while naked.

  Next to me, Devon landed smoothly. Not even a jolt for the two vampires on his back.

  Show off.

  Tate slid down from his back, a slightly sick look on her face. Maybe she hadn’t enjoyed flying. Probably a good thing she wasn’t really a dragon then. Sian followed her down, looking far more exhilarated.

  “That was amazing,” she said, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Tate gave her a distasteful look, but she laughed and leaned forward to kiss Tate’s nose.

  It was a little odd to see. Sian was normally a little more serious than that. Tate must bring out her more playful side.