It was a long walk through the ship, but eventually Leon reached his cabin. He'd memorized the number, but finding it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. It was empty with their things already set aside. Damien, Richard, and Raina would be in the room next door. I bet Iris put them in a separate room on purpose... Knowing them, they're all out looking for me.

Pulling out his phone, Leon grimaced as he saw all the missed texts. They were the least of his concerns. His eyes narrowed. If her family has already tracked her to this ship, that means somewhere she's already here. I can't exactly let Isabella starve downstairs either. Damn it Katie, where the hell are you...

The cabin door slammed closed behind him, making him twist around. One look at Iris's face made him mutter, "Fuck."

It was everyone's favorite tune to hear. "Where were you?" "What were you thinking?"

"....worried sick.", and all the other tropes of going missing.

When there was finally a pause in her lecture, Leon said, "Come on. You know it's my first real vacation out of the state, let alone the country. Naturally, I'm going to be curious."

Iris scoffed. "Without saying anything? Not a text, nothing?"

"Making you squirm is a little fun," Leon admitted, crossing his arms with a grin.

Her face flushed, but she shook it off. "Did you at least find anything interesting on your little walk?"

Thoughts of Katie and Isabella ran through his mind, but he maintained a straight face. "It's a nice ship. Sort of reminds me of a smaller version of the Titanic... That makes me wonder how much the tickets cost," he said, looking out the window.

Iris watched him quizzically. He was certain she knew he was holding back, but for once, she didn't pry.

------------------------------

An hour later......

Mid day, they met up with their friends. The ship had a lot to offer. An indoor pool, a theater room showing old flicks, a giant dining room at the heart of the ship, and even a mini observatory at the back, with many taking advantage of it all. Sailors in nice suits talked and maintained things on the bridge while workers in coveralls worked down below on all of the machines, ensuring things ran smoothly. Getting through passageways was more of a burden than an adventure. Hundreds were scattered like rodents around them. Leon couldn't help but look over his shoulder every few moments. Where could she be?

Iris was close to him at all times, the sea of people keeping her irritated. She never was good with crowds. Most of the halls had a golden brown color. The carpet on the bedroom decks complimented this color, white diamond shapes trailing them. The outer ship was so covered in white and gold, you'd probably go blind looking at it through binoculars.

Keeping the rust off of this kind of color must be a pain in the ass... Leon imagined, admiring how clean it looked. Three giant stacks released smoke at the center of the ship from the engine rooms. The smog trailed behind as they cruised along the ocean.

The seawater around them was crystal clear and blue. Leon cursed under his breath. Most of the people on it were rather snobby. Most were old, too old to enjoy the majority of what this vessel had to offer. He imagined most people who looked his age couldn't afford it.

The day drifted quicker than expected. They had hardly explored for more than a couple of hours when it was time for lunch. The dining room was enormous, round tables for several people. Smells of the different foods mixed and mingled in the air. Seafood like garlic shrimp, sushi with tuna, cali rolls, and more, takoyaki, honey glazed salmon, buttered crab, and lobster alike.

Close to them were pastas such as spaghetti or lasagna, chicken or pork ramen bowls, indian or japanese curry with fried pork cutlets, ribeye steaks, fried chicken, cheeseburgers, pork chops, giant turkey legs, roasted ham, collard greens, creamed spinach, caesar salads, mashed potatoes or potato salad, spicy chili, rice and beans, and last but not least, mac and cheese.

It wasn't long before Leon's mouth began to water. The meat smelled divinely seasoned and melted in the mouth like butter, fried foods or bread nice and crisp, the fruit and vegetables fresh and juicy.

The chatter in the room was deafening, with glasses and silverware clanging every couple of seconds. A warm, comfortable feeling filled the air merry with laughter and music. His mind was too preoccupied to fully enjoy it.

I need to sneak a plate of this downstairs, Leon thought, stirring his fork in his spaghetti. He realized he'd been frowning, because Raina wouldn't stop looking at him.

"What's that look for? Got a stomach ache already?" Raina asked, tapping her shoulder against him.

Leon chuckled. "Hell no. I'm just getting started."

Raina smirked as she sipped her cider. "Good. Remind me to save your folks a seat in heaven after we die. We owe them an arm and a leg for this big time."

Damien and Richard exchanged glances, their eyes widening. "Let's save the morbid future talk for after dinner, shall we? ...This... isn't what I was expecting," Damien said, leaning in his chair. He looked down at his t-shirt and jeans. Then he glanced around as he noticed all the suits and dresses. "It's too fancy..."

"I kinda' like it. Though it could use a little more rock n' roll, if you know what I mean," Raina said, twirled her hair around her index finger.

Leon was about to get up and make his way to grab Isabella's plate when his eyes wandered to a table directly ahead of him. A girl was sitting by herself. Even from a glance he could tell she stood out amongst the other people. A silky, light green dress. The way her brown wavy hair flowed over her shoulders. She was looking directly at him with the only emerald gaze in the world that could make his heart drop. That's...

"Who's that?" Richard whispered in his ear, making him jump [https://img.wattpad.com/c9571336c6d67e42abee0385fe219209b6b4b595/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f45705a30644c4a516a45376357773d3d2d3337333932373336392e313761373532316266623365623830613133323939353733303235302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

"Who's that?" Richard whispered in his ear, making him jump.

"What? Who are you talking-" Iris looked from him to where Leon was looking. "She's out of your league."

Leon snapped her a 'seriously' look. "Is that a fact?"

Before she could say another word, he got up and walked toward the girl. His friends were slack jawed watching him. Leon had never moved to talk to another girl, much less one as stunningly beautiful as this one. Raina threw Iris a playful nudge with her elbow. "Has he always been that confident?"

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The glass in Iris's hand cracked under her grip, making the others flinch. She took a deep breath. "Not that I'm aware of, no..." Iris muttered, watching hopelessly after him.

Leon's eyes locked onto Katie's as he drew closer. He had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't imagining things. "H-hi," she stuttered, standing to meet him.

"You weren't kidding... I can't believe this," Leon said, standing a few feet away.

Her eyes lowered at his stunned expression. "The dress is a bit much isn't it?"

At that, he grinned. Raising her chin with his fingers, he said, "It's amazing... I just wish I'd been the one to set you free."

A strong warmth came from her gaze as she grasped his wrist. "You did. I would've never come this far without... without..." Katie pulled him into a tight hug before she could burst into tears. She was trembling.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how scared she was. His own heart was pounding out of control, and all he could do was squeeze her back. But then he remembered their situation. "You were followed."

Katie's eyes widened. "What? How did you-"

"Your sister Isabella. She tried to interrogate me, but I knocked her out and had her tied up downstairs. Let's grab a plate for her so we can talk about it without this crowd," Leon whispered, his eyes shifting to the stunned expressions of his friends.

One look at Iris and he could already feel how heartbroken she was. It never occurred to him what sort of reaction this would bring, but given the previous morning, it could only get worse with time. He grasped Katie's hand and they walked to the food table to prepare a plate.

Richard mouthed to himself, How the fuck? '' Looking at the others, he said, "Am I dreamin'? There's no way it was that easy, right?"

Raina snickered. "At least one of us has charm. More than I can say for you two."

"I'm not taking that from a pyromaniac. Wipe that gravy off your lip," Damien teased, aggressively wiping her mouth with a napkin to her muffled protests.

Iris sat silently with them, unable to avert her gaze. Her food laid half eaten, growing cold with her fork and knife gripped tightly. She took a deep breath before violet mist could begin to form around her palms. "Excuse me, I'm going to go rest for a bit," she said, rising out of her seat.

----------------------------------

Thirty minutes later....

The harsh humidity settled. Leon took Katie down to the lower decks. Once they reached the room with Isabella, they closed and locked the door behind them. Isabella muffled some complaints before they took off the gag. "Oh, here to gloat in your victory?" Isabella spat, trying to slide off her blindfold. He'd been mindful not to leave her close enough to anything that would allow it.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Keep talking shit and no food for you."

"Leon," Katie mouthed, looking at him wide eyed.

Isabella scoffed. "You knocked me out and now you bring me... What even is that? You can't win me over with food, boy."

Leon and Katie shared a look. We're used to only getting pills that carry all the supplements we need to grow... They never have any flavor, Katie said internally, her voice echoing in his mind.

How the hell do you do that? And why aren't you saying anything out loud? Leon responded, hoping that thinking like normal would be good enough.

She raised an eyebrow. You're doing it now.

Oh, sweet. Why are we talking like this again?

The less she knows the better. If my mother finds her, it'll be harder if she doesn't know I'm here. ...What a mess. I never imagined they'd track me this quickly, she said dejectedly, sitting on the bed.

Leon put the food on the counter beside Isabella before moving beside Katie. He wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her arm. How did you even escape?

With a sigh, she explained telepathically. As she did, Isabella tried desperately to break out of her restraints to no avail. Leon teased her about it, making her give him the silent treatment, much to his pleasure. So you're telling me you flew here from space? What are you, an alien?

Katie looked at him, frowning. What's an alien?

Doesn't matter. You're like a super spy, Katie. It's bad ass! Leon said, patting her on the back.

Isabella clicked her teeth, breaking the silence. "How long are you going to sit there and gawk, you little creep? What on Earth does Katie even see in you?"

Katie almost opened her mouth to protest, but Leon with a mischievous grin covered it. Leon, what are you-?

Shhh, I've got this, he said, standing up.

He cleared his throat. "What's the matter? Never been admired before?"

"Admired? Why would I care about such -" Isabella started, when Leon shoved a scoop of mashed potatoes in her mouth. She choked at first, shocked. "What are you- what was... You... Was that poison?" She was struggling to keep the enjoyment out of her voice.

"Are you still breathing? Strong poisons work quickly I seem to recall," Leon responded, picking up a roasted chicken leg and holding it up to her nose.

Isabella squirmed, attempting to resist despite how amazing it smelled. She felt her mouth water, and cursed under her breath. He was more than sure she'd never tasted anything this good, or good in general in her entire life. "Is this... y-your idea of torture?" she tried to snap, but it came out more of a whisper.

It was the first time Katie's ever seen Isabella growing relaxed. She watched awe struck as Leon teased, but coerced her sister into eating the plate he'd brought with him. Tears streamed down Isabella's face as she bit into the chicken, muttered, "...Cruel... How could... Why are you feeding me? I wanted to kill you. I still could..."

Leon chuckled. "I'm not afraid of dying, so good luck with that. I don't think Katie would forgive me if I let you starve."

"Why would she care? ...All I've ever done is... is..." Isabella erupted into a wail, struggling against her restraints in her sobs.

Before he could stop her, Katie had risen from the bed and hugged her tightly. "K-Katie... is that...?"

"I'm sorry..." is all she could say.

Leon watched them, trembling and crying. The anger he felt towards their mother only grew with each passing moment. Once they finally calmed down, he took the plate and stood outside the door as he gave them a moment alone. "You won't come out of this unscathed... You know that, don't you?" Isabella inquired.

Katie's eyes lowered as she sat down again. "It can't be like this forever... We weren't born just to be killers."

"Katie... whether we desire it or not, we cannot escape our fate! Our mother will find us any minute and then there will be hell to pay! You know what he is, don't you?" she asked, nodding her head towards the door.

"What do you mean-" Katie started, but Isabella stomped her foot impatiently.

"Surely there are limits to your naiveté? You met him through your mind, correct? How many creatures on the planet do you think can do that? From across continents? From space?"

It was then that Katie's eyes widened. But then, she shook her head. "It doesn't matter if he's Diablos's host. I won't hurt him."

"It's the only thing stopping us from being a normal family. What we were created for!" she snapped.

"He feeds you and the first thing you want to do is kill him? What is wrong with you?" Katie retorted, rising to her feet.

Isabella paused, grimacing. "He is... kind. A sweet boy. I wasn't expecting anything like this, but surely it's only because Diablos is yet to awaken? That won't matter to Lilith. When has our mother ever given the light of day to anything sweet? Mercy isn't something our family is known for. If you care for him so much, at least give him a swift end. A peaceful death. If our mother ever gets a hold of him, it will be anything but graceful."

"How is mom tracing us?" Katie asked.

There was hesitation before Isabella said, "There are chips inside of our bodies. She injected us with them at birth."

Rapid bursts of electricity ran rampant around Katie's body, and she yelped as she felt a sharp pop in her right arm. Placing a hand on Isabella's shoulder, the sparks surged into her sister, making her bite back a cry. She stopped immediately, hoping that did the trick. "How did... Have you been able to control your power this whole time?" Isabella questioned.

"...To some degree, yes. Leon helped me overcome my fear, and we've been practicing ever since. ...I'm sorry you both had to suffer because of me," Katie said, turning away.

"Why are you apologizing to me? We were the ones who made you suffer. If I could take it back a thousand times, I would," Isabella said, gritting her teeth. "What are you going to do?"

Katie frowned, her mind racing. "I'm not sure yet. I'll be back down for dinner..." She walked out and closed the door behind her.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they reached the upper decks, the setting sun blinded them as it pierced beyond the horizon. Leon pulled out some shades, squinting. He nearly dropped them into the ocean when Katie bumped into him. "Wha-" he barely whispered a sound as she grabbed his collar and kissed him deeply.

Leon flinched, nearly stumbling over the railing. He didn't break away. Regaining his balance, he pressed more into her. She smelled strongly of lavender. The scent made him tremble along with the softness of her lips.

With a warm smile, she held him tightly. "Thank you for taking care of her. I've been waiting five years for this."