Light in the Shadows

Unintended Consequences

I found Jayla the next morning in the poolhouse sunning. She sat up as I entered the glassed in room. I knew she had felt me and likely smelled me. She turned and smiled at me then her eyes locked on what I carried. I had a doggy food bowl and water bowl in my hand.

"I thought you might want breakfast," I tried not to laugh, but a smile split my face.

"That's not funny," she scolded, but then started laughing herself. "I guess it is funny...am I a werewolf?"

"No...well, what you did yesterday was closer to a skinwalker," He paused. "I thought it would take longer for my powers to wake in you. I'll need to train you to keep you from hurting yourself or other people." I said.

"My dad said we are eating out here. Breakfast is nearly ready and he will want to understand what happened last night." She said.

I took a breath. "You had a dream before you turned into the wolf, didn't you."

Jayla nodded. "I turned in my sleep."

"You weren't the only one to dream some elses dream last night. I can't really fix that. Repressing the dreams could be dangerous. We will simply need to survive." I said.

"Wait...what did you dream?" She asked.

"You really like this Corbin guy." I replied and gave her a wink.

She picked up a loose rock and threw it at me. I chuckled. I'd let her stew on what I had dreamed about. As she considered my dreams, the door to the poolhouse opened and Peter and Jayla's father entered. Roberto was carrying a large tray of breakfast food and some juices while Peter carried a tray of cups and plates.

"Roberto told me about last night; do you want to explain?" Peter asked as he set the tray on the table and took a seat.

I sighed, there was no getting around it. "When I healed Jayla yesterday I acted on instinct. I saw what was going to happen the moment she started falling, but could not change the situation, what I could do was capture her memories. I knew her brain would be destroyed and simply repairing it would not return her memories I merged our minds and our souls until I could heal her."

I took a sip from my orange juice. Then ate a piece of bacon.

"When I released the mind and soul they had to flow through mine. This implated Jayla on me and me on her." I looked at Jayla. "I appologized yesterday, but you didn't understand. After last night you have a hint about what the next few months is going to be like."

I slid my glass of orange juice to Jayla. "Change that to milk. Don't think about it; just do it."

Jayla glanced at me then stuck her finger in the orange juice and it turned white. I took a sip of it and nodded. "I didn't truly believe that she would gain my abilities, I didn't dominate her spirit, It should not have merged with mine the way it did." I shrugged. Then looked at Jayla.

"When Corbin gets back, you'll need to confide in him. He well smell me in you and it may anger him. I don't think he will hurt you, but he may try to fight me."

"I won't let him fight you." Jayla stated.

"That will be between him and me, don't worry, I can defend myself."

"I'm not worried, you jackass, I think it would be stupid. Corbin doesn't own me and neither do you." She said.

I ate some more of my breakfast before looking at Peter he had been unusually quiet. He nodded.

"We will assess Jayla and find out to what extent she has copied your powers. I'm not very experienced with soulbonds, but from what I've read the powers aren't always coppied precisely and Jayla has official training in the theoretical use of powers, she could have abilities you don't. Your magic could simply be a catalyst to wake up what she had dormant inside her."

Jayla stood. "I'm going for a swim. Do you want to join me?" She asked me.

I nodded and pulled off my t-shirt. I dove into the water and swam along the bottom of the pool crossing under Jayla. Despite having known her for only two days, I liked her. She was pretty, smart, and now she had my power. I knew she had a boyfriend and wanted to just be friends, but I wasn't sure that this would be possible. She was simply too hot. I reached the end of the pool and turned for a second lap. The moment I had touched the water I had grown gills behind my ears. I didn't need to go up for air.

Suddenly Jayla was swimming beside me. Intricate fins ran down her body and she kept pace with me stroke for stroke. It amaized me how quickly she was gaining access and control of my abilities. After ten laps we found the surface of the pool. Peter and Roberto were watching us. I pulled myself out of the water.

Jayla followed me. The moment her fins hit the air they vanished. I nodded approval. "I will need to show you how to change while making others still she only you. This is harder with a wolf, but it can be done," I said.