Chapter IV

Jett and Aeon had arrived in Naporia that early morning. The fog was thick, and the air was chilly. They would be boarding the cruise ship, The Royal Anne. According to the visions in the clairvoyant’s dream, Oren would be going after Captain Collins. Somehow, the two would have to find a way to approach the man without causing a panic.

The exorcists felt the effects of jet lag as they rubbed their eyes for a third time, walking behind Jett, who was more awake than they were. “I guess you didn’t get much sleep last night?” the clairvoyant chuckled with a smile. Aeon sighed and nodded with a yawn. “My arm kept me awake.”

Jett frowned.

He wished that he had been there to stop Oren from hurting his companion, but in the end, he did manage to help them. “I should have shown up sooner,” the clairvoyant mumbled as he shifted their bags on his shoulder. The exorcist gently placed his good hand on his back.

"Please don’t blame yourself.”

Jett knew that he shouldn’t, but they were a team, and he should have been there. Finally, in their cabin, Aeon flopped down onto one of the beds, letting out a soft sigh. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll go check out the ship and keep an eye out for Oren." Though they didn’t want to agree, Aeon nodded in agreement. “Be careful.”

“Will do!” the clairvoyant gave a two-finger salute and left the room, shutting the door behind him. On the outside of the room, he sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. This was going to make things difficult with the exorcist out of commission. It would take the two of them to prevent Oren from trying to take the soul from Captain Collins. Walking over to the dining car, Jett breathed in the smell of lunch being prepped, and his stomach grumbled.

Letting out a sigh, he decided to poke around and see if he could find something for breakfast.

Aeon knew that Jett blamed himself for his injury, but it was his fault for not paying attention. Even if they had managed to avoid being hit by Oren, they were certain the demon would have inflicted some form of pain on them. It was time to take a shower and clean the wound, patching it back up afterward. Using their good arm, Aeon pushed themselves up and headed into the bathroom. They set out what they needed after the shower and adjusted the water temperature before undressing and stepping into the tub.

As I eyed the few breakfast items set out, Jett grabbed a bit of everything since he didn’t quite know what Aeon would eat. With food and drink on his tray, he carefully balanced it, covering the top with a lid they offered, and headed back to the room. The exorcist dried their hair and brushed it out, wincing at the tangles. It was time for another haircut; maybe they could get the clairvoyant to do it.

The door to the room opened, and the sound of the key machine beeped, “I’m back!” Aeon stood in front of the mirror, drying their hair and fully clothed. “How did your little adventure go?” they grinned, looking at Jett as he entered.

“Oh…uh, fine.” The clairvoyant cleared his throat, crossing his arms and looking down at the carpet. The exorcist tilted their head to the side. “Is something wrong?” They arched a brow, hanging up their towel. Nothing was wrong. It was just that he had never seen Aeon so relaxed or in casual clothes that seemed too oversized for their frame. Aeon sat at the round dining table next to the door. “Let’s eat together,” they smiled, motioning to the seat in front of them.

Jett sat down across from the exorcist, who uncovered the tray and chose a drink and one of the plates. He was trying to keep from staring so much. He was so accustomed to Aeon wearing form-fitting clothes with their hair slicked back out of their face. Not in clothes that the clairvoyant himself could wear, that swallowed his partner completely. Aeon met Jett’s eyes, causing him to jump and apologize.

“It’s okay, Jett…you aren’t used to seeing me like this, so I understand the surprise.” The exorcist pursed their lips together, holding up the injury that was still healing. “I figured since I was still healing, that I should relax until I’m able to use my arm again.” The clairvoyant nodded, took a plate and a drink, and cleared his throat. “I uh… didn’t mean to see you like this, honestly. You seem so small.”

Aeon pouted, pointing their fork at Jett. “Hey! I’m not small.”

Jett laughed and held up his hands in defense.“If you say so…but it’s a difference.” Oren sighed as he adjusted the tie on the human body he was currently occupying. This was the body of the Captain’s Navigator. If he hadn’t been so weak from Aeon’s actions, he would have been a prime target: Captain Collins himself. Even though it wasn’t his first choice, this would keep him as close to Collins as possible.

“Aoife!” a thundering voice called out, causing the demon to jump.

He turned, facing the man who entered the room. “Yes, Captain!” he turned, saluting. This was the first time he had ever possessed a female body before, so the voice escaping his lips made him shiver and made him a bit uncomfortable. He was aware of the treatment of women in the workforce. He’d seen it and reported it many times when he was human.

At times, he even intervened and beat the harasser to a pulp. Oren hoped that this man wasn’t that type of guy because if he were, he wouldn’t feel bad about taking his soul.

“No need for that.” Collins smiled, hands on his hips. “I wanted you to lead the speech this time.”

The demon arched a brow, his face contorted in confusion. “Speech, sir?” he questioned.

Collins chuckled. “The speech in your breast pocket,” he patted his own for emphasis.

Oren checked the breast pocket, and there was indeed a speech there.

"Thanks.”

TThe captain nodded and led the way out of the room and towards the deck, where a bunch of people were gathered. He looked out at all the people on vacation as Collins began the introduction, greeting the vacationers aboard. Squinting his host’s eyes, he tried to see if he could spot Jett and Aeon in the crowd. When he didn’t see them, a pleased smile spread across his lips. This time, he could get away with at least one soul.

Oren didn’t know that the two were there; they had not attended the assembly. If the demon spotted them, it would just make it more challenging to get him to show himself. Though Aeon would know it was him anyway, since they could see which body he was possessing. The demon smiled to himself, adjusting his tie as he took out the paper to begin the speech. After it was over, music played, and the crowd cheered, clapping their hands, even Collins.

Jett looked out the window of his shared room with Aeon and sighed.

“Do you think that Oren knows we’re here?”

“I doubt it…with so many different energies around him and the fact that he’s close to the soul. He won’t tap into his power to search for us.”

“That’s good, right? It means we will have an upper hand on him this time.” Aeon leaned back in their chair, sipping their coffee. “Yes and no.” The clairvoyant leaned against the door. “Okay, so what’s the gist?”

“He’s probably taking over someone’s body close to the captain. I’m guessing the Navigator. Secondly, I haven’t healed fully, so we are at a disadvantage.”

Jett frowned, looking at the exorcist’s arm.

“Don’t keep blaming yourself.”

The clairvoyant sat down across from the exorcist. “Do you think we should dine in for dinner?” he asked his partner, who nodded. “Yes, after all, we can’t let Oren think we’ve forgotten about him.” Aeon smiled, placing down their coffee cup. Jett chuckled. “Here, I thought that we wanted to say mysterious and hidden,” he joked. “Though it would be fun to toy with Oren, we can’t leave our presence a mystery forever,” the exorcist sighed, tracing the pattern on their pajama pants.

The clairvoyant rubbed the back of his neck, studying Aeon. This was the first time he had ever seen them so relaxed. Letting themselves have a moment of reprieve for once. Especially since they had saved three people back-to-back along this journey, it was also the first time Jett had ever traveled.

He was glad, though, that it was the exorcist he was traveling with.

Aeon stood up and stretched. “I’m going to change. After I’m done, why don’t you take a shower and relax for a bit?” They smiled and walked over to their duffle bag, digging out some clothes.

“Yeah, I can do that.” The clairvoyant cleared his throat and gathered his things to take a shower. The exorcist got dressed, and Jett walked into the bathroom to shower, shutting the door behind him. Freshly showered and dressed, he walked out, joining Aeon by the door. “Let’s go make an impression that Oren won’t forget,” the exorcist smiled, opening the door. Jett chuckled. “Yeah, let’s go shake things up.” Following right behind Aeon, they made their way to the dining hall.

Oren sat uncomfortably at the dining table with Captain Collins. It wasn’t the captain himself who was making him uneasy; it was the crew that sat there with them. “Everything okay, Aoife?” Collins asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. The demon nodded for a moment. He forgot that he was in the body of a woman. “Actually...no,” Oren mumbled, glancing at the crew around him.

Noticing this, the captain flashed a smile at him. “I’ll switch seats with you,” he said, standing and gesturing towards the chair. The demon blinked in surprise and got up, trading seats with the captain. As the crew’s eyes turned towards their leader, they began to straighten up and tidy their appearance. Oren was amazed at how well-mannered this human was and honestly felt a pang of guilt about taking his soul.

The demon shook his head. “No, I can’t feel bad about taking his soul now," he thought to himself. His gaze turned towards the entrance where people were trickling in, and his eyes fell onto Aeon and Jett.

They were here! Oren ground his teeth, irritated that he would now have to deal with these two pests. If he remembered correctly, the exorcist had still not fully healed and would be weakened by this injury. A smile tugged at the demon’s lips. He would have Collin’s soul, and there would be no one to stop him.

Aeon and Jett took their seats at their reserved table. A waiter came by, got their order, and headed into the kitchen. The exorcist looked around and spotted Oren locking eyes with him. The demon tore his gaze away, knowing that Aeon could see right through him. They were always good at seeking out demons who possessed humans.

“Is that him?” Jett asked, his voice low.

Aeon nodded. “Yeah, I figured he would possess someone close to the captain, but I’m surprised he chose a woman.”

The clairvoyant looked in the direction that his partner had seen the Navigator. “Huh, that’s true. I wonder how his experience is going.” Jett mumbled to himself. The exorcist shrugged. “There is no telling, but I hope he is seeing how things are from a woman’s perspective.”

The waiter returned with their food and drinks and then left them to check on other patrons. Jett wasn’t used to such fancy dining and picked up his utensils as he looked down at the food on his plate. “You’re not used to this, are you?” Aeon asked, picking at his food before cutting it with a knife. The clairvoyant made a face as he was trying to be delicate with his cutting. “Yeah, but it’s nice every once in a while, as long as I get to share it with someone,” he smiled.

Aeon returned the smile, rubbing their sweaty hands over their pants.

After all of this was over, the two of them could travel. Not for work but to see the world; eventually, they would have to return to their everyday lives. Should I ask Jett to work with me? The exorcist thought to themselves. It was a question that Aeon would save for when Oren was sent back to the fiery pit he crawled out of.

“Everything okay?” the clairvoyant asked, noticing the zoned-out look on his partner’s face. The exorcist nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay. I was just lost in thought,” they added with a smile and took a bite of their food. Jett furrowed his brow and nibbled on his bottom lip, wondering if the outcome would have any bearing on what came next. Raising his head, the clairvoyant looked at the table where Oren sat with the captain and the crew.

Jett noticed that the demon was trying to avoid looking in their direction, which made him chuckle to himself. He had to give Oren credit for trying not to make a scene. It must have been his days when he worked with Aeon. The clairvoyant guessed that old habits were hard to break. Taking a bite of the food, Jett chewed, soaking in the flavor.

"Huh, so this is what fine dining tastes like,” he joked to himself.

Captain Collins noticed that Aoife kept glancing over at the table with Aeon and Jett. “Do you know them, Aoife?” the man motioned with his chin. The demon jumped. “Oh...uh, my old co-worker and my replacement.” He cleared his throat and jabbed at the food on his plate. Collins chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. “What did you use to do?” he questioned. Oren sighed, lowering his fork. “I used to help people, but it wasn’t enough for me,” he admitted.

The man nodded his head in understanding, even if he didn’t know what the other truly meant. The demon sighed, folding his hands in his lap. Was he starting to feel guilty? Shaking his head, he internally growled. It had to do with being in this woman’s body. Whenever he was in the body of male hosts, no feeling of guilt ever crossed his mind, but now he.

A strong hand gently placed itself on Oren’s shoulder. He turned to see Captain Collins smiling at him. The wine made his cheeks a rosy color.

The demon thought it made the captain look like St. Nicholas.

“Go to bed early. You look exhausted,” Collins told him with a wink, patting him on the back. Oren nodded. “Yes. Thank you. I’ll go do that.” He rose from his seat, excusing himself, and exited the dining room. Jett was about to rise from his seat, and Aeon stopped him. “He won’t do anything tonight,” they reassured their partner, who slowly sat back down.

The clairvoyant squirmed in his seat, feeling anxious. “Are you sure?”

The exorcist nodded. “Of course. Let’s enjoy the rest of tonight. Since I’m sure we will have to put an end to this tomorrow.”

Jett agreed, willing himself to relax. The waiter returned, refilling their glasses and placing the next course on the table, then removing their empty plates. The night went on, and both of them took the time to enjoy each other’s company. On their walk back to the room, the clairvoyant stole a glance at Aeon. “Something on your mind?” the exorcist asked, noticing Jett looking at them.

Uh oh, I got caught, the clairvoyant thought to himself, looking away—one hand in his pants pocket and the other on the back of his neck. “I’m not sure...I don’t think that I have a name for it yet." He cleared his throat and took out his room keycard, opening the door.

Jett motioned for Aeon to go first, who smiled and thanked him.

"Well, when you figure it out...Will you tell me?” asked the exorcist curiously. The clairvoyant nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.” Would he, though? He had to figure out what this feeling was that he felt towards Aeon. Jett didn’t want to lie to them.

Nor did you want to string them along, either. The exorcist deserved so much better than him because Jett didn’t see himself as good enough for Aeon. For now, he would keep it to himself.

AAs both of them slept, the sun slowly threatened to cast its rays into their room. Someone knocked on the door. Aeon rose from their bed and slowly walked to the door, peering through the keyhole and seeing Oren standing there. Opening the door a crack, they stared at the host and its demon, both of whom were confused. “Oren, what are you doing here?” they questioned in a whisper, not wanting to wake Jett.

“I want you to exorcise me from this woman’s body.”

The exorcist blinked in surprise, taking a step back and opening the door a bit wider. Was he serious about this? Did Oren not want to steal Collins’s soul? Aeon locked eyes with the ex-exorcist, trying to find any source of trickery in the air. There wasn’t any, though the demon was telling the truth.

The exorcist looked over their shoulder and stepped outside to stand before Oren. “So that you know, next time I won’t be giving up so easily,” the ex-exorcist mumbled. Aeon began a soft chant, placing their index finger on their host’s forehead. Oren rose from Aoife’s body, which had collapsed, and the exorcist had to catch her. The orb that was Oren hovered above them before vanishing somewhere on the ship.

Jett opened the door and rushed to help Aeon get the Navigator back to her room as she slowly began to gain consciousness. “I thought you were still asleep,” the exorcist teased the clairvoyant, who laughed. “Psh, you think I could sleep with you two yapping outside the door?” Jett smiled.

After helping Aoife to her room, both of them walked back together.

“We weren’t that loud.” Aeon mumbled, crossing their arms.

“Though I’m curious as to why he surrendered like that,” the clairvoyant pondered aloud. The exorcist looked towards the ocean, lost in thought.

“I think that Oren felt respect for Collins. Being around him must have made him feel...human again,” said Aeon, turning his gaze to

Jett. The clairvoyant blinked in surprise. Did Collins have a high tolerance for demon energy? Or was he such a good guy that he even tamed a demon for stealing his soul? Whichever one it was, he was glad they didn’t have to fight the demon again.

“We have the rest of the cruise to enjoy, and I think that this time, I will let you surprise me with where we go next,” the exorcist smiled, letting their hands fall to their sides.

Jett nodded and grinned. “Alright then, I will keep it a secret,” he pressed a finger to his lips as they sat on the deck chairs, watching the sunrise over the vast stretch of ocean.