Soultrade

by Arizona Tape

  “Ayra,” he gasped as he reached me, taking my hand in his, and raising it to his lips.

  Great. I knew it was romantic and everything, but right now, it wasn’t what I needed. Not by a long shot.

  “You need to shift,” he pointed out. Rather needlessly, I had to admit.

  “I’m trying,” I ground out through gritted teeth as another wave of pain rushed through me.

  If this was what human labour felt like, then I was glad I’d never go through it again. Next time, I’d be in dragon form for the first two weeks, like I should have been this time.

  “You need to relax more.”

  I managed to push the pain aside for long enough to give him a withering look. Surprisingly, I knew I needed to relax.

  “I’m serious, Ayra. If you don’t, then you’re going to kill yourself, and the baby.”

  The only reason I didn’t retort with something sarcastic, was the look in his eyes. I could see just how concerned he was about me. And just how badly he thought this could go wrong. More worrying still was the fact he was a doctor. Meaning that wasn’t just husband and father worry.

  “Okay, what do I do?” I got out between pants.

  “I need you to try shifting again. I know it’s hard, especially with the pain, but try. Please, Ayra, try,” he begged.

  I nodded once, and closed my eyes, trying to disassociate myself with everything that was going on with me physically. I couldn’t let it control me, or I was a goner.

  Focusing on the soft lap of the water against my skin, I began to relax slightly, even if there were still sharp daggers of pain along my spine. Not the most pleasant of sensations, but there was nothing I could do about that.

  I pictured my dragon form. Or, more accurately, what it felt like to be in my dragon form. To feel the wind against my wings, and the water as it rushed past my scales. I didn’t think I’d ever grow bored of those feelings. I certainly hoped not. And now, I’d even get to watch my child as he or she discovered the world we lived in.

  Despite myself, I smiled.

  “That’s it, Ayra.” The sound of Devon’s voice encouraged me no end. It was good having him here with me. I didn’t think I could do this alone.

  More cramps distracted me slightly from my calm. But they weren’t as bad as they had been before. In fact, they were almost manageable.

  When the next ones came, closer together than they had been before, I pictured my dragon self the entire time, begging my inner self to make the shift from human to dragon.

  Which was when it happened.

  Thankfully.

  My face lengthened. My entire body grew, and the giant blue wings I knew I had spread open beneath me. I used them to skim the surface of the water. I loved doing this, it was one of my favourite ways to relax in my dragon form.

  Using my wings, I propelled myself over, so I was standing on my own four feet instead of being on my back.

  We were still ridiculously shallow for dragons, and I wasn’t sure how I knew, but something was telling me I needed to go deeper. I swung my head back around and looked at Devon, who was beaming at me.

  He held out his hand, and I pushed my snout into it.

  “You’re beautiful, Ayra. I knew you could do it.”

  I gave him a toothy grin, before nudging him with my head.

  Devon laughed. “Alright, I’ll join you. But we’ll need to go deeper.”

  I nodded. That was pretty much in line with what I thought.

  “Are you still in pain?” he asked.

  I cocked my head to the side as I took stock of my body. Huh. How hadn’t I noticed that the pain had gone? I’d have thought something as all consuming as the pain had been, would have actually been noticeable in its absence.

  Obviously not. Or maybe I was just that dim.

  I walked a little bit further into the lake, swishing my tail as I did, and making little waves in the water.

  Devon’s transformation was one I felt rather than saw, probably because I’d turned my back to him. I’d have been sad, but I saw him transform enough that I knew what it looked like anyway. I was more interested in the next bit. Now I was in dragon form, I instinctively knew what needed to be done to have my egg born. Or whatever it was called when the egg came out of me.

  He nudged my belly, and I took it as a hint to go deeper. I flapped my wings and lifted into the air, letting out a stream of blue fire as I did. Devon followed, and made the same stream of fire, it mingled with mine, much like it did at our mating ceremony.

  Once we were high enough, I made a sharp turn, and dived back down towards the lake. My dragon eyes scanned around for the deepest part. That was where I needed to go to lay my egg.

  The shock of the cold water hitting my scales was invigorating. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to explain it to anyone who wasn’t a dragon. No, not even that. I doubted I’d be able to explain to anyone who wasn’t a water dragon. From what Devon had told me, the other types had different ways of living. No doubt still filled with ceremonies, but at least I wouldn’t have to go through any of the other ones.

  Thank the gods for small mercies.

  We swam deeper, twirling around each other in an intricate design we hadn’t repeated since our mating ceremony. Normally, we just kind of splashed about a bit and had a good time. But this was different. This was something our bodies were telling us to do.

  I welcomed it. There was something reassuring about nature taking control. Nothing bad could possibly happen while we were in its grip. Or that was what I was going to tell myself. Maybe I was deluded. Right now, I didn’t care.

  Devon swerved slightly to the left, and as he was out ahead, I followed him.

  A large rock formation rose through the water ahead of us. It was craggy and full of holes and ledges. It was slightly strange that we hadn’t been able to see it from the shore, but I’d go with it. This whole place was steeped in magic, I’d felt it the moment I’d stepped into the water, and could still feel it now. The magic almost hummed through the water. Though maybe that was just the importance of the occasion, and how special this was for the two of us.

  Devon came to a stop, and hovered in the water using his wings. He glanced between me and one of the ledges, and I nodded my head at him. He was right, this was where I was going to lay our egg. And while it might not be in our sacred lake, it was at least in a sacred lake. Our child would have the full benefit of that.

  I landed lightly. Surprisingly so. I didn’t think I’d ever had such a smooth landing before. Spurred on by the magic, I curled up into a ball, tucking my tail under my head. This didn’t seem like quite the right position to birth an egg in, but if it was what my body was telling me to do, then that was what I was going to do.

  Devon landed beside me, and rested his head against my neck. His closeness was comforting.

  Especially as this was it.

  It was time.

  Chapter 13

  Can you see anything?” I asked, bouncing up and down on the tips of my toes. Sian chuckled and pulled me against her. I reacted immediately to her softness and I melted into her. Yes, this felt right. Sian fitted me, and I fitted me.

  A little sad, I watched the dragon forms in the middle of the lake. Devon had wrapped his wings around his wife and was shielding her from everything and anything. I smiled at the gesture and the sadness disappeared. They were a perfect match and they would make each other happy. Just like Sian did to me.

  I rested into her embrace, her arm swung over me similar to Devon and Ayra.

  “How are you feeling?” Sian asked, studying me intently. Her dark eyes bore into mine and I knew what she was searching for.

  “Not bad,” I said, pretending I didn’t knew exactly what she was asking for.

  She pushed up my chin with a finger. “Tate. How are you feeling?” she repeated herself, using her stern voice.

  I gulped and pushed the lust back. When Sian looked at me with her teacher eyes, I just heated up. But it didn’t
seem like the appropriate moment to do something about it while my body twin and my ex were having a baby a little bit away. Well, I had a feeling Ayra and I would no longer be sharing bodies, but I still considered her family. A bit twisted, perhaps, but definitely family.

  “Tate?”

  “Sorry, you distracted me,” I tried, batting my eyelashes at her. It usually distracted her, but not today. She was a woman on a mission and unfortunately, that mission was my ‘addiction’.

  “Are you thirsty?”

  “No,” I lied, averting my eyes. A breeze caught my hair and tangled it in front of me. Sian and I turned to the lake and found it without dragons. “No dragons,” I noted, using our friends as a diversion. Sian threw me a suspicious look, but let it slide. She turned to the lake and gently squeezed my hand.

  “Don’t think you’re off the hook. We’ll talk when we’re home.”

  “Home,” I muttered wistfully, smiling at the thought of going properly home and not having to worry about ending up in Devon’s place at any random time. Of course, there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t happen again, but I had a good feeling about it. Yes, a real good feeling.

  “Look, they’re coming out!” Sian bounced up in excitement and waved at the exhausted pair exiting the water. Devon was holding Ayra, who was holding a big, blue egg. The thought that that had been inside of my body only a bit back, was rather frightening. It was reassuring to know that even if I swapped with Ayra, I wouldn’t have to deal with the pregnancy. Without the threat of being torn apart, the stakes were definitely less high. We’d have time to figure out how to make the swap permanent if it already wasn’t. It just might be.

  “Hi guys, how are you feeling?” I greeted, pulling Devon into a hug. “How are you feeling, Dad?”

  He chuckled, the exhaustion painting lines across his face. He smiled and kissed my cheek. “I’m a father,” he whispered loudly, the excitement shining through in his eyes. “A father!”

  I could tell just how happy he was and I knew it was a dream come true. He always wanted to have a family and now he did. Ayra and his egg. Perfect.

  He turned to Sian and pulled her into a hug too. “I’m a father!”

  We laughed at his reaction and I placed my hand on Ayra’s arm. “Congratulations, Ayra.”

  “Thank you,” she sighed, rubbing the egg in the same way she did her stomach.

  “Your egg looks perfect. Exactly like a little water dragon should,” I reassured her, admiring the speckles scattered over the shell.

  “Does it? I wouldn’t know, but I agree. It’s perfect. Aah, I could just stare at my egg all day.”

  Devon chuckled and kissed his wife. “We need to get her into her nest in the lake quickly though.”

  She pouted and clutched the egg tighter. “I don’t want to leave.”

  “You have to, I’m afraid.”

  “Tate? Do I have to?” she asked, begging me with her eyes as if she hoped it was just one of Devon’s quirks. He did have a lot of them, but sadly, the dragon ceremonies weren’t his choice.

  “Sorry, it’s not optional. Dragon eggs go into the sacred lake, it’s just how it’s been done.”

  Ayra frowned and hugged her egg. “Pff, the traditions are ridiculous. What is the harm in keeping my egg with me? It’ll be with its mummy.”

  “But—” Devon tried again, gaining a puppy look from Ayra. His shoulders softened and I knew he was a real goner. And while I disliked all the rituals, this was one of the real important ones. I placed a hand on Ayra’s shoulder and smiled disarmingly at her.

  “I know the thirty-six rituals are nonsense, but this one isn’t. This is best for your baby.”

  “Fine.”

  “At least the First Blessing doesn’t take too long.”

  Ayra kissed her egg, shining up the shell. “You mean the one in nine months?”

  “No, the one right now?” I replied, turning to Devon. A pink hue coloured his cheeks as he tried to hide behind me. “Wait, you didn’t tell her about the First Blessing?”

  “Devon?” Ayra asked, her voice suddenly a lot lower than before. A soft growl rolled from her tongue and she shot fire with her eyes. “Another stupid ritual?”

  “Just a tiny one,” he squeaked, rubbing his neck guiltily.

  “No, I don’t want it.”

  “But we’re at a sacred temple right here. It’ll only take a minute,” Devon pleaded, kissing Ayra gently. “It’ll be good for the baby?”

  She melted into him and huffed. “Fine. Here, be quick.” Carefully, she placed her egg in his arms and longingly brushed her hand over it. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you too,” Devon smiled, kissing her quickly. Ayra looked up at him and chuckled.

  “I meant my egg, but yes, you too.”

  He chuckled, the love sparkling in his eyes. He cradled the egg and moved to the temple.

  “Bye, little one,” Ayra called, waving at the two of them. I laughed and nudged Sian.

  “She needs a hug,” I whispered. It was a bit strange to ask my girlfriend to comfort her ex, but she could use the support. And I didn’t mind seeing them together. I liked that they still cared for each other, just like Devon and I did.

  “Congrats, Ayra. I’d say she looks like you, but you know, she’s an egg.”

  “You both keep saying ‘her’. What makes you think it’s a girl?”

  I shrugged, admiring the lake in front of me. The surface had gone immovably quiet again, and it was impossible to guess there’d been two dragons in before.

  “Tate?”

  “Just a hunch,” I smiled mysteriously, licking my lips. It really was a beautiful place out here and it was almost calm and zen enough to make me forget about the dull buzzing in my head. Almost.

  “Nooo!”

  A loud scream grabbed our attention and we turned to find Devon flapping one of his arms as he tried to regain his balance.

  “Shit!” I called out, horror spreading through me as I watched Devon fall down the steps leading into the temple. He must’ve caught his foot on something. Before Sian or I could even act, Ayra darted to him and her egg. A breeze brushed past me and for a moment, it felt like everything stood still apart from Ayra. The invisible shield around the temple rippled as she tried to breach the barrier and I prepared for the backlash.

  I held my breath and time froze. This was it. If Ayra passed into the temple, it would confirm the strange feeling in my gut. That this was our final swap.

  A single ripple burst through the air and the scent of the sea washed over me. I gasped as Ayra shot through the sacred dragon enchantment and steadied Devon. My heart pounded in my ears as I processed what just happened.

  “Did she just?”

  “She did,” I confirmed, a warmth spreading through my chest. Ayra moved through the barrier. This could only mean one thing. This body was mine and mine alone.

  Overjoyed, I leapt into Sian’s arms and pulled her in for a kiss. I swept my tongue over my fangs and then over her bottom lip. Happily, she answered with a sigh and a soft chuckle.

  “You okay there, Tate?”

  A flutter tightened my stomach and I laughed into the kiss. “More than okay.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked, pulling up one eyebrow questiongly. With the dragons inside the temple, I could finally react to the desire she stirred up.

  “Very sure.” The buzzing in my ears had left and the pull to the blood in the bag lessened. I was still craving it, I knew I did. But not as badly as before. And with Sian by my side, I’d surely find a better balance between feeding and devouring my pouches.

  “Not jealous of Ayra and her baby?” Sian inquired, tilting her head to the side.

  I laughed and shook my head. “No, not at all. I’m not ready for children and man, that was about the most painful experience in my life.”

  “So not something you want to repeat?”

  Surprised by her tone, I inspected the glint in her dark eyes. There was a strange longi
ng in them I hadn’t seen before. Maybe watching Ayra with her egg had awoken something in her. Unlike with Devon, the idea of having kids didn’t scare nearly as much as it used to. On the contrary, little Sians would be adorable. And they wouldn’t grow like eggs in my or her stomach. That was a plus at least.

  I pressed myself into her and stole a kiss from her lips. “Not anytime soon, no. But maybe someday.”

  Sian’s breath fanned across my ear. “Someday is perfect.”

  “We got time, right?”

  “Seas of time. We’re vampires after all.”

  The prospect of spending centuries with Sian warmed every fibre of my being. I couldn’t wait to start my life with her. A real life unlike the months we all spent in limbo. I could properly move out of Devon’s place and bring all my stuff over to her house. And I would probably have to tell my parents about the swap. Well, it was no longer just a shift. Ayra got my body, and I got hers in a fair and equal manner. More like a trade.

  “I can’t wait,” I confessed to my blondie, admiring the sun glinting in her eyes. She was breathtakingly beautiful and everything I always wanted and far more. And the best part? She was mine. Only mine.

  “Tate…”

  I smiled at her hesitation. “Yes?”

  “I love you,” she smiled, her lips curling up in a shy smile. Her cheeks coloured red and a chuckle escaped. She looked so nervous, as if she wasn’t sure I would say it back.

  “I love you too,” I breathed, kissing her softly. There wasn’t a sliver of doubt in my voice as I uttered words I hadn’t meant in a good while.

  “Good.” Her breath tickled my lips as she leant in for another kiss. Carefully, she brushed her fingers across my cheek and sealed an unspoken promise lingering between the two of us. “Good, indeed.”

  A twinkle glimmered in her eyes and a smile played on her lips. Time stood still and I could’ve stayed here in Sian’s embrace for an eternity. But we we were far from home and we weren’t alone.

  “The dragons are back,” I pointed out, the words rolling from my mouth naturally.

  “How did your blessing go?” Sian inquired curiously, wrapping an arm around me.