Soulshift

by Arizona Tape

"I can see your thoughts on your face, Ayra. But we really do need to eat first."

  "Fine, Chinese?" I suggested. He made good Chinese.

  "Sure, takeout okay?"

  "Are we not cooking?" I fluttered my eyelashes. I wasn't sure what it was about doing something so mundane together that I liked so much, but it was almost more satisfying than almost anything else. Almost. I could think of one thing that topped it.

  "We can if you want." He beamed. That was the other thing about cooking together, it made Devon so happy. Though I'd yet to quite turn him onto baking yet. He enjoyed the fruits of my labours, sure, but he hadn't quite figured out how to do it himself. I was looking forward to teaching him more. He was an attentive cooking partner. And even better, he was a tidy one too. He cleaned up as he went, and there was never much mess. Maybe a silly thing to like in a partner, but that was what it was

  "Have we got everything in?" I asked as I opened the fridge. Yes, Devon's apartment had definitely started to feel more like home to me than the one I shared with Sian. I liked it. It was just another thing that proved more than ever that we were meant to be this way around. If the shifting and the blood drinking hadn't been obvious enough. It turned out that Tate had never been able to shift, but she was more than fine with drinking blood. It'd become clear through the notes we'd been leaving one another, that both of our bodies were healthier for swapping. Weird how these things worked.

  "Yes, I got everything in. I even got some stuff so we could make our own dim sum." "

  "You did?" I could feel my eyes light up. So he'd known I'd pick to cook. Could he be anymore perfect?

  "I did, yes." He leaned around me and pulled several packets out of the fridge, setting them on the centre island. "Though we might need to watch a tutorial to get them right."

  I laughed. We'd done this a couple of times too. It was weird. We both had full-time jobs, just like Sian and I did, and yet we'd still found a way to cook intricate meals. Though maybe the difference was that we were doing it together. It wasn't a solo endeavor at all, it was bonding time.

  Devon propped his tablet up on it's stand and flicked onto the tutorial he must have loaded earlier. Yes, he really had planned this. That sneaky, thoughtful dragon of mine. He slipped an apron over my head, and gently tied the bow behind my back, his hands brushing against me in a way that was most likely deliberate. Not that I cared.

  "Is this new?" I asked, looking down at the apron. It was beige with blue trim, and what looked like a dragon on the front pocket of it. I certainly hadn't seen it before.

  "Yes," he said nervously.

  "Thank you." I twisted around to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I love it. I love you, Devon." The words slipped out before I could stop them, but I couldn't bring myself to regret them. Not when his eyes lit up the way they did.

  "I love you too, Ayra." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "More than I ever thought possible."

  I beamed. How could I not? "Glad that's sorted then. Let's get cooking." I bopped my finger against his nose, and he nipped at it.

  "Yes, let's." He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he leaned forward to press play on the video. It took us three attempts to get the dim sum right. But it didn't matter. Devon loved me. He loved me. Not Tate, not anyone else. Me.

  And I loved him too. Everything was right with the world, and even the worry over tomorrow couldn't stop my joy as we cooked.

  Chapter 21

  From the moment Devon pulled the car into the parking lot, butterflies made themselves known in my stomach. Shit, today was the day. It could cement me as a dragon, or make poor Tate more of an outcast than ever before. And I certainly hoped that wouldn't happen.

  "It's going to be okay, Ayra," Devon said softly, squeezing my hand as we walked towards the lake where I'd previously transformed. Unfortunately, this time we weren't alone, and there was what could only be described as a small crowd gathered.

  "Why do they have to watch?" I asked him, my voice much smaller than I cared for.

  "Tradition." He sighed, pushing his free hand over his face and into his hair. "I don't care for it either, but it has to be done sometimes."

  "What if I can't shift when I need to?"

  "Is that likely? Other than the first time, you haven't had a problem."

  "I know, but..."

  "Is that really what's bothering you?" He stopped abruptly, and gave a gentle tug on my hand, turning me so I was facing him. He brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear, and tingles assailed me as his fingers left a trail of warmth behind them.

  "No."

  "Talk to me, Ayra," he whispered huskily. This moment was intimate, maybe even more so than when we were in bed together.

  "I don't like that everyone's going to be calling me Tate. I understand why, but it just stings a little."

  His eyes softened, and he tipped my head back with a gentle finger under my chin. There was no avoiding his gaze this way.

  "They will, but the moment the two of you no longer need to swap, we can start explaining to people who you really are."

  I laughed a little bitterly. He was so earnest it almost hurt, though I knew he did genuinely believe his words. "I don't think it's going to be as easy as that. How many people are actually going to believe I used to be a vampire and accidentally swapped into Tate's body?"

  "Well, when you put it like that..."

  "Exactly."

  "But that doesn't change how I feel. And once you're here for good, there's no way I'm pretending you're Tate, even for formal occasions. You're not going to be Tate Orrin for much longer. You'll be Ayra James."

  "Erm...I will? Is there something you need to tell me?" Like, when he was planning on telling me we were getting married. Devon rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little uneasy as he did.

  "Well, erm...by dragon standards, we're going to be married tonight."

  "Uh huh, and you didn't think to tell me because..." I prompted.

  "Would it have made a difference?" he supplied.

  "Well, no, but still would probably have been good to know."

  "It slipped my mind. I'm sorry, Ayra. It's not what I'd consider a proper marriage. For that, I'm thinking a church, and you in a pretty dress, with flowers and our family and friends around."

  "Why, Devon James, are you asking me to marry you?" I teased. He looked a little panicked. Shit, I hadn't meant to do that. I didn't want to scare him off at all.

  "Yes," he said after a moment, with a finality I hadn't expected. "Be my wife, Ayra."

  "You mean more of your wife than I'll be anyway?" I asked, a smile spreading over my face.

  "Yes, be my wife properly."

  "I will. But let's go make me your dragon wife first."

  "Your wish is my command, my dear," he said, giving me a mock bow. I laughed and swatted his arm playfully.

  "Lead the way."

  Thankfully, the lake was warm and soothing, much like the last time. Even more thankfully, it was almost like the two of us were alone. The darkness was shielding us from the eyes of the other people, which was great considering I was naked, and that this body felt like mine now. I didn't want people staring at it.

  "You ready?" Devon asked, holding my hands in his. I nodded ever so slightly, and he squeezed my hands.

  "I think so," I added. We had a weird dragon language chant to perform, and then we'd shift into our dragon forms and do a series of dives and aerobatic tricks. I was worried about it, I hadn't spent very much time in my dragon form compared to just about everyone else, though Devon had made sure to take me out on some flights, which was a start.

  "Want me to count down?"

  "Please." I wasn't normally the kind to make someone else take the lead, but in this case, it was reassuring.

  "Three...two..."

  The water ruffled around us, as if feeling the power the two of us contained and were about to unleash.

  "One."

  I opened my mouth and began the chant
Devon had been teaching me over the past week. Basically every day since he'd first told me about the ceremony. He'd tried to explain to me what they meant, but ended up a little tongue-tied himself. Turned out that nothing the dragons did in their ceremonies really made any sense. A lot of it was old garbage about the female dragon submitting to her lord and doing his bidding in all matters. The face Devon had, told me just how much he hated the entire concept of it. Which had made me smile. I had no time for men who believed women were inferior.

  Then came the bit about babies. I had to admit I liked that bit more than I should. It was a blessing, and an invoking of the dragon gods' power for the female dragon now she was twenty-five. I had no idea what twenty-five actually had to do with it, but apparently that was the age dragons became fertile. It was odd how similar the two cultures were.

  We drew to a close, and I could see the soft smile on Devon's face. One that was surely echoed on my own. The words might be completely out of date, but the magic was definitely real. I could feel it in the very air around me.

  "Ready for the next bit?"

  I nodded eagerly. I was really looking forward to this bit actually. Being a dragon was exciting, and it felt so right for me. So I couldn't wait to do the tricks and the dance with Devon.

  I pulled the power from the water, much like Devon had taught me to do, and felt it building up inside. Devon's hands slipped from mine as he concentrated on his own shift, and, as one, our dragons took control, bursting forth in an explosion of inner power.

  The effect was instantaneous. I flapped my wings, stretching them out in the air, while swishing my tail back and forth in the water. I felt it ripple against my scales.

  Devon leaned forward, and nuzzled his large blue head into the scales of my neck. A low rumble broke from me. I liked that. I liked it a lot. It was almost as intimate as when he did that in human form.

  He nudged me once more, and I took that to be the sign it was time to start. I took a deep breath and delved down into the depths of the lake, with Devon just seconds behind me. Even the dim water looked crystal clear to me, and I could see the plant life at the bottom swaying with the currents, I wondered if there were other mythological creatures here. Dragons and vampires couldn't be the only ones who existed.

  We swam around each other, creating a spiral as we began the dance. The water between us moved with us, swirling and building us closer together. Without even needing to talk to him, I could tell that the bond between Devon and I was getting stronger. Whether that was because of the magic of the dance, or just because this was the longest we'd spent in dragon form together, I didn't know. I also didn't care. It was too wonderful for thoughts or for words.

  We came together under the water, our tails entwining, and Devon wrapped his massive blue wings around me. I nuzzled my head into his scaly chest. I wished we could stay like this longer. It was comforting, in an odd way. Maybe, in a few more years when the two of us were earning a little more money, we could buy a bigger house, with a garden we could shift in. Or maybe even a cave. Then we could fall asleep in our dragon forms, our bodies curled up together. Considering I hadn't been a dragon very long, the fantasy was surprisingly clear.

  Devon unwrapped himself from me, and we began to spiral around each other once more, but this time moving ourselves more towards the surface. That was where we needed to be for the next bit anyway, so we were doing things the right way.

  Oddly, I wasn't really thinking about any of our movements any longer. I'd been so worried about it all, that I was surprised how easily it was coming now. But it felt so natural that I really wasn't going to question it. This was a part of me. A part of Devon. A part of us.

  We burst from the surface, heads first, causing twin waves of water to crash towards the shores of the lake.

  I flapped my wings furiously as we spiraled around each other in flight, echoing the movements we'd made while underwater. I liked the symmetry of the two parts of the dance. It pleased the little part of my brain that liked things neat and tidy.

  We soared higher, the air around us becoming cooler as it streamed past us, but the scales of our skin protected us from the worst of it, and I could barely feel the cold.

  Devon parted from me, and we looped through the air, creating large circles in the sky. We crossed paths with each completed manoeuvre, and each time, Devon's head turned towards me, probably checking I was alright. I was more than alright. This whole thing was exhilarating. My pulse pounded in my veins, and my wings beat furiously, and I was trying to push any thoughts of accidentally shifting back mid-air from my mind. I was fairly confident I could control my shifting, much like I could control my swaps with Tate, but the worry was still there.

  We came to a stop, hovering mid-air and looking at each other. Devon's dark blue eyes bored into me, and I felt more loved than I even had before.

  I knew what was coming next, and I opened my jaw wide, breathing in as much air as I could. This was the last part of the dragon side of the ceremony, and I was excited.

  I counted down from three in my head, certain that Devon was doing the same. With an almighty roar, the two of us unleashed our flames into the night sky. Twin jets of fire shot from us, starting out the traditional orange colour of fire, and travelling through the colours of the rainbow until they faded to blue at the top. Our fire joined together, as was the intention I was sure.

  My lungs burned from the effort, but I knew I had to carry on for as long as I could. My fire began to fade, but luckily, so did Devon's. Though a little part of me suspected that he'd let his fade once he'd seen mine heading that way. It'd be just the kind of thing Devon would do. He was always looking out for me. And for Tate before me. He really was a sweet guy. I didn't know how I'd got so lucky.

  With our flames now extinguished, we dove back down, heading towards the lake we'd come from. I'd been relieved when Devon told me that was where we ended the ceremony too, that way there'd be no one looking at me naked. I might have to get used to that though, most of the dragon shifters, Devon included, didn't seem to mind it.

  We crashed into the water, before coming back up to the surface, still in dragon form. We touched our head together, and let go of the magic, returning back to being just Ayra and Devon, both breathing heavily, and both looking intense.

  Having swum to the edge of the lake, Devon got out before me, taking a white robe from one of the waiting attendants with a nod of thanks. He draped it over himself, and I was disappointed to discover it covered his chest. So much for being able to enjoy the view then.

  "I'll take that one for Ay-Tatiana," he told the other attendant, taking the robe meant for me. He followed it with a pointed look, and the two of them scuttled away.

  Happy we were alone, I rose from the lake and closed the short distance between us. Devon draped the robe around me, his touch tender.

  "Thank you," I breathed.

  "How are you feeling," he whispered.

  "Good." I beamed up at him, pleased to see my smile returned. "Really good."

  "I'm glad." He kissed my nose. "Ready for the last bit?"

  I chewed on my lip. I was ready in myself, no doubt, but I didn't think I was ready to outright be called Tate's name again.

  "Yes," I said, despite my concerns.

  "Just remember, I'm thinking your name."

  I nodded. I really had no better response to his words. I knew it was me he was thinking of. Didn't mean it wouldn't hurt though.

  He led me through an arch made of flowers, and before the assembled dragons around us. I swallowed nervously. Would any of them be able to tell I hadn't been born to this? I really hoped not.

  "Please give your blessings to the newly fertile, Tatiana Alyssa James, formerly of House Orrin," an announcer called. I scrunched up my nose. Did they really have to make such a big deal about the fertile thing.

  "Blessings to Tatiana Alyssa James," the congregation repeated. Oh how awful.

  "Please give your blessing to the union
of Devon Raymond James and Tatiana Alyssa James," the announcer called again.

  "Blessings to Devon Raymond James and Tatiana Alyssa James," the dragons repeated.

  "May your union be blessed with children," he called, with the others repeating. They were surprisingly in sync. It was almost creepy. "Go forth, and be as one."

  I shivered. What a creepy thing for him to say. Thankfully, Devon chose that moment to draw me away from the platform, and the prying eyes of the people staring at me.

  "Are you okay, Ayra?" he whispered in my ear once we were alone.

  "I think so," I replied.

  "I know that last bit was..."

  "Awful?"

  "Intrusive?" he countered instantly, and we both fell about laughing.

  "Just a little. Is there really the need to do that?" I asked.

  "If you ask me, then no. But that's the thing about dragons. They're very caught up in tradition."

  "Don't you mean we're very caught up in tradition?" I teased.

  "Yes, I suppose so. But we can skip some bits. We don't have to have a family temple if you don't want," he assured me. I pulled a face. "Not a fan of temple either?"

  "I'm not even sure I can go into temple. I couldn't in my vampire body, but then I guess it depends if that was to do with my body or my soul," I supplied. Devon looked thoughtful.

  "I'm not a massive fan of temple anyway, I don't mind if we don't have one."

  "That's probably for the best. If Sian and Tate visit, they might not be able to see it either."

  He laughed. "That's your main thought?"

  "Is it not yours? Sian's still my friend. I'm pretty sure Tate's yours. She must be, or she wouldn't be doing this for you. For us."

  "Yes, we're still friends," he acknowledged, pushing a lock of damp hair behind my ear.

  "Good," I whispered, dismissing the thoughts of our ex-girlfriends. Now really wasn't the time.

  He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, moving them tenderly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his snaked around my waist, pulling us both closer together.

  It tasted sweet. Like love, affection and oneness. What had happened today had sealed our souls together for good.