Dragon Soul

Chapter 1-2

Taking my seat at the back of the assembled people, I watched in fascination as things got underway. And by that, I mean Ayra and Devon were standing at the front looking bored as they tried to sneak glances at each other. She did well with Devon. He was handsome, smart, accomplished...everything Sian was too actually, but he was a better fit.

As the dragon elder prattled on about something to do with fish and feeding, my eyes wandered away, looking around all the people here. When I say all, there's probably only about fifty or so, but that was fifty people I hadn't met before, so they were all fascinating to me. If I hadn't known, then I probably wouldn't have guessed they were dragon shifters, they all looked so...normal. There wasn't a single one that stood out.

My eyes snagged on someone in the row across from mine. I should take it all back. There was one who stood out. She was something else. I continued my survey of the room, trying to put the names I knew to faces, but my gaze kept darting back to the woman opposite me. I had to stop. For a start, I didn't have a One, so she wasn't holding my attention for that reason. And secondly, from what Ayra said, I did not want to be involved with a dragon shifter. Individually, they sounded fine, but dealing with the collective? Ick. This ceremony was saying it all anyway. They were deadly boring, with a lot of traditions and ceremonies, none of which I had time for.

I tore my attention away again, and continued to look around. There was an older looking version of Ayra at the front, with pursed lips and an almost discontent look on her face. That was Tate's mother then. I no longer had any doubts of why Ayra stayed away from her. Even without Tate's tales of childhood on my mind.

That meant the man next to her was Tate's father. He just looked...weak. Not how I'd expect a dragon shifter to come across. Surely he should have presence, and an air of power? Like Devon did. Like Ayra did for that matter.

Well, like Ayra did in her dragon form. She held a spark and an energy in her new body that she always lacked when she was still a vampire. Yes, she was radiant in her white dress and the flowers in her hair.

“All rise.”

Startled by everyone standing up, I quickly followed suit and got up from my chair. My neighbours folded their hands over their heart in what I assumed to be another weird dragon tradition.

“In.. Umm… Weakness… Yes, no tearing. Uck, what no tearing? I mean, oops, of course…” s**t. I should’ve just shut up instead of trying to sing along with the hymn. I earned a weird look from the people around me and I could’ve sworn one or two of them hissed at me. Right, dragons were weird.

“Sorry, sorry,” I whispered, nervously fondling the leaflet I was handed before. Tate and Devon James. Yup, that looked really wrong. It should’ve read Ayra and Devon, but they all agreed that the body swap was too weird to explain to the dragon community.

Heck, it took me a good while to actually understand what was going on. Two people who swapped souls every now and then wasn’t exactly a regular occurance. Especially not if one of those people was your best friend.

Although, Tate gave Ayra a run for her money. She was so similar and yet so different. And with Ayra spending more time with the dragons, I hadn’t seen her as often as I liked. But yet, here I was. The only vampire invited to a dragon blessing, to see my best friend off into her married life. Again.

I sighed and looked around, wondering when this weird sing-hum-something would stop. Everyone seemed lost in the trance of prayer. Everyone except…

I hummed in surprise as I caught the eyes of the young woman in the row across me. Unlike the rest of the dragons, she wasn’t singing along either. My heartbeat quickened as I wondered. Maybe another non-dragon? Oh, if that were the case, I should talk to her during the banquet. Maybe I’d have someone to talk to without having to lie about my vampire nature. And it didn’t hurt that she was breathtakingly beautiful either.

Without disturbing my neighbours, I awkwardly waved at her across the aisle. She shot me a strange look and mouthed ‘what?’, before batting her eyes down and effortlessly joining the hymn.

Disappointment rushed through me. So she was a dragon after all. Well, this party would suck. Ayra would be too busy holding up her own pretences to have time for mine. Luckily, she had Devon who’d known Tate for her whole life. He’d be able to fill in the gaps and recognise the people who thought she was Tate. And of course, being close friends with the woman she swapped bodies with also helped with that.

Looked like I’d just be on my own then. Oh well, I was used to that. Even in a household with a bunch of siblings, I grew up as a bit of an outcast. If I could stand six vampires not talking to me, I’d surely do fine around a community of dragons ignoring me.

I glanced at the woman across of me again and nodded to myself. Yes, I’d be totally fine.