This is a somewhat longer chapter than before. I had trouble with it at first, because it's an exposition chapter, filling in the story, setting some things up for later, etc. It felt kind of ended up being all 'talk talk talk'. But it has to be done... There'll be more action in the next chapter, I promise. As ever, please please please read and review... My morale is counting on your comments...


Angel smelled the blood before he even opened the door to the apartment. The smell permeated the air like thick, metallic smog. He already knew that the girl was dead, but when he kicked the door open and was able to cross the threshold, his heart sank.

She lay there in the centre of the floor, bloodied and beaten. Carvings, similar to those on the first victim, had again been cut into her flesh. From her multiple broken fingernails and the bruises and scratches on her arms, it looked like the girl had put up a hell of a fight. It hadn't done her any good…

Taking out a piece of paper and a pencil, Angel began to sketch the markings. On closer inspection, the words were identical to those carved onto Melissa's body, but these were a lot cruder, as if the writer had a hard time keeping the knife steady. Or keeping the body still.

The realisation hit him like a fist. This victim had been alive and conscious when the words had been carved into her flesh. Partially rolling her over, he saw burns covering her back. Some of them had blistered, meaning that they also had been caused when she was alive.

He didn't have time to fully process this before he noticed several figures in dark robes attempting to sneak up on him. He swung around and kicked one in the head, before fending off a knife attack from another. Two more tried to grab him from behind, but they obviously hadn't counted on him vampiric strength. Spinning around, he knocked one off his feet with a vicious upper cut, while grabbing the arm of the knife-wheedling monk, plunging the knife into the fourth attacker's stomach. With a flick of his wrist, he then broke the monks arm and grabbed the knife from him.

'Is this what you killed her with?' he demanded, his face revealing his true nature.

'We didn't kill her, demon,' the monk replied. 'We are not worth to carry out the purification ritual.'

The first monk charged at Angel again. The vampire replied by grabbing him by the throat and lifting him into the air. 'Well, who did kill her then?'

'Our High Priest,' spluttered the monk Angel had by the neck. 'We are of the order of the Purest Word. He is the Vessel.'

'The Vessel of the Word. He comes with the fire of purification. He will burn the demon out of you, vampire,' declared the monk with the broken arm

With that, he lunged at Angel with a stake he had concealed in his robes. Angel swung the monk he was holding into his path, and the stake plunged into the robed figure's back. Dropping him to the ground, he knocked the other one out cold.

'Sorry. I'm not a big fan of fire.'


Despite the pain she was in, Cordelia had refused to go home. However, after repeated requests from Kathy, she had finally gone upstairs to one of the hotel's many bedrooms to lie down for a while. Kathy was going over her research once more, turning up nothing on the one word she couldn't translate. Rubbing her eyes, she reached for the phone. Her call was answered on the third ring.

'Summer's residence.'

'Willow? Hey, it's Kathy.'

The flame-hair witch sounded thrilled to hear from her. 'Kathy! I've been meaning to call you. Me and Tara have discovered this amazing protection spell that we can do with a doll's eye crystal. It's really obscure but…'

Kathy let Willow ramble on happily for a few minutes. In truth, it raised her spirits to hear someone else as passionate about magic talk. Since meeting Willow and Tara a month ago, she had talked to them several times and they had become firm friends. Eventually, Willow realised that she had been doing all the talking and somewhat sheepishly asked Kathy, 'so what's new with you?'

'I actually need a second opinion, Will,' Kathy told her. 'We're in the middle of a tough case, involving an inscription mostly written in a version of Latin. Except for one word that I can't seem to translate.' She went on to explain everything about the case, including the fact that the first victim, at least, appeared to be a witch.

Willow didn't take much convincing. She promised Kathy that she would get straight down to researching, as well as picking Giles' brain on the matter. She told her friend she would call the second she found anything.

'Thanks Will,' Kathy told her sincerely. They said their goodbyes and Kathy was hanging up the phone when Wesley and Gunn walked through the door of the hotel. One look told her that they had met with trouble on their outing.

'You okay, Wes?' she asked the ex-Watcher, noting the purpling bruise on his jaw.

'Never better. Although my face disagrees,' Wesley replied. 'Do the members of la más Pura Palabra wear robes?'

'As far as I know. Why?'

'I think we were just attacked by a group of them. Handy in a fight. For priests.'

'Well, according to my research, they were combat ready,' Kathy told them. 'Trained in a number of different fighting styles. Given their purpose, they weren't exactly the prayer and meditation types.'

'Well, English doesn't think their main aim was to kick our butts,' Gunn told her. 'They were distracting us while one of their friends stole a book from Melissa's collection.'

'A book? What was it?'

'The Lewe Seën text. Ancient Shamanic writings on ceremonies and spells.'

'She had a copy? That's incredibly rare.'

Wesley nodded, taking a much needed seat. 'Obviously someone needs it. Or doesn't want us to have it. Either way…'

'We need to know what's in it,' Kathy finished his thought for him.

Gunn handed her the book he was carrying. 'We brought her Book of Shadows back for you and Wes to have a lookie-loo. Some interesting stuff in here, too.'

'How are you coming with the translation?' Wesley wanted to know, as Kathy began to flip through the pages of the book with a careful reverence.

'It's on the desk. I got it all except one word.'

'Doodheks,' Wesley said, reading Kathy's precise handwriting. 'Something about it is familiar. I'll see if I can turn up anything.'

'And I'll start going through Melissa's book,' Kathy replied, moving back to the desk she had been working at previously and picking up her notepad.

'And I'll…' Gunn picked up a book and set it right back down again. 'I hate research, so I'll hit the street. See if I can find out where these monk guys are hanging out.'

'Check in with us if you find anything,' Wesley told him. 'Don't go in alone. We don't know how many of them there will be.'

'No problem. Catch you later,' he replied as he grabbed a weapon and headed out.

'What do you think?' Wesley asked Kathy, who was clearly engrossed in what she was reading.

'I think this girl was the real deal. She was a true believer and practitioner, who had a lot of power behind her. Some of the spells in here are intense to say the least.'

'Do you find her Book of Shadows unusual at all?'

'Similar to mine,' Kathy commented. 'Although she was of a different lineage. There's a heavy Ancient Greek and Egyptian influence to the spells and rituals. My own is influenced by the Celtic-European lineage of Wicca. And she obviously has seen some action. Your everyday Wicca doesn't have some much information about demons in her book.'

'Maybe someone killed her because she knew something? Or had some kind of power or ability that a demon didn't want her to use?'

'Maybe,' Kathy didn't sound sure. 'But if you want to take someone out, you take them out. Quick, clean, no mess no fuss. This girl, and the other one, they were killed in a ritualistic fashion. You don't do that unless it serves a higher purpose.'

'The other one?' Wesley asked. 'There's been another murder?'

Kathy had finished telling Wesley about Cordelia's latest vision when the sound of the front door opening made them both turn around. Angel strode into the hotel looking thoroughly pissed off. At Kathy's expectant look, he shook his head.

'I was too late.'


While Wesley went to work translating, Angel led Kathy into his office. She could tell that more was worrying him than just these cases.

'How's Cordy?' he asked, confirming her suspicions.

'Tired. Headachy. She's gone upstairs to lie down.'

'She didn't go home?' he asked, his voice rising slightly.

'Don't go getting angry with me. That girl is stubborn.'

Angel shook his head and almost smiled. 'Don't I know it.' He sighed as he sat down. 'I'm worried about her.'

Kathy nodded in agreement. 'I know. So am I. The visions are really starting to take a toll.'

'Is there anything we can do?'

'I don't know, Angel,' she told him. Kathy had been pondering this, even before the latest vision. She had come up with a few ideas, each more dangerous than the last. 'There are a few spells that might help, for a while. But short of having the visions removed, I don't think there's a permanent solution.'

'What kind of spells?' Angel looked worried. 'And why do I get the feeling that they're dangerous?'

'Because they are,' Kathy told him truthfully. 'Anything I can come up with involves tapping into Cordy's subconscious, tapping into her connection with the Powers. It's a very delicate process. It might help ease the pain for a while. It might stop the pain altogether. But it might send her into a permanent catatonic state.'

'That's a little more dangerous than I had in mind,' Angel paused, feeling so very tired and sick to his stomach with worry. He couldn't bear seeing Cordelia suffering like this. The visions had worsened considerably in the past few months. Or had it been going on longer than that. Guilt stung him. He had been so wrapped up in Darla's reappearance and subsequence re-siring by Drusilla, he had gone for months without paying attention to Cordelia. Had the visions been hurting her this badly for longer than he thought?

'You really care about her, don't you?' Kathy's voice broke into his thoughts.

Angel hesitated before answering. He had given the matter a lot of thought recently, but had never talked about it to anyone. It was a mark of his growing affection and trust for Kathy that he considered revealing at least some of his feelings on the matter of Cordelia Chase.

'You should have met her a couple of years ago,' he told his sister, smiling at the memory. 'She seemed to be this vapid, spoiled little rich girl who thought the whole world revolved around her. But even then… man was she brave. She had no training, no special powers and yet I saw her fight in a bunch of battles in Sunnydale. And then she came here. She'd lost everything, but she still carried herself the way she used to, like Queen C.'

'What changed?' Kathy asked him, noting how Angel's face softened when talking about Cordelia.

'I don't know. I don't think it was one thing. She's always had this way of doing something for you, really selflessly, but making it look like there's something in it for her. She made me start up this business, made me start connecting again and passed it off like she just needed a job. But the biggest change probably came when Vocah turned the visions against her.'

Angel closed his eyes, remembering the events of that time. He had never been so frightened, seeing Cordelia lying in that hospital bed, writhing from the agony caused by the mind-ripping visions she was receiving. His non-beating heart had broken seeing her like that. And when she woke up, she was changed, haunted, forever. She had not only seen the pain that was in the world. She had felt it. For her, there was no going back.

'The moment she finally understood what the mission was all about,' Kathy commented, as if reading his mind. Off his look, she went on, 'She told me what happened. She called it her 'wake-up call'.'

'I don't want her going through anything like that again. If there's anything you can do…'

'I'll try and work out the kinks in the spell,' Kathy told him. 'In the meantime, there's are other ways; meditation, herbs, crystals. They might easy the headaches for a while. Until we see if we can find a more permanent solution.'

'And if we can't? How difficult would it be to remove the visions altogether?'

'You're not taking my visions!' an angry voice told them. Angel and Kathy looked up to see Cordelia in the doorway, glaring furiously at both of them. 'Having a nice little chat about my well being, were you?'

'Cordy,' Angel began, but Cordelia cut him off.

'These visions are mine Angel. They're part of the mission. They're my mission. You can't strip me of them.'

Kathy stood up. 'Cordy, we weren't planning on striping your visions. We want to find a way to ease the suffering that comes with them. Angel was just considering the worst-case scenario.'

'I know exactly what he was doing,' Cordelia replied. She tore her angry eyes off the vampire's repentant face and looked at the witch. 'Kathy, can you give us a minute.'

'Sure,' Kathy replied, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

'Cordy, I know what you heard but…'

'Angel, you have to stop trying to protect me. I'm a big girl,' Cordy started, her voice firm, but the lid temporarily on her anger. She knew the real motivation behind his words and, although she was pissed that he would even consider what he had considered, she couldn't stay mad at him over it. 'You have to stop feeling responsible for all of this.'

'I am responsible, Cordy. It's my fault you have the visions in the first place, and…'

'Doyle gave them to me,' she replied emphatically, taking Kathy's recently vacated chair. 'They were his parting gift, not only to me, but to you. You need to have an open line of communication with the Powers.'

'He wouldn't have had to give you them if…' Angel stopped mid-sentence, unable to admit to her what he had felt all along.

'You still blame yourself for his death.' It wasn't a question. She had long sensed the guilt from him, but had never had the courage to bring it up before now. But seeing Doyle's spirit last month had liberated her in a way. She didn't feel as sad about his death anymore. She still missed him terribly, but she understood that it had been Doyle's choice, and that he had died a hero, for the greater good. 'Angel, you didn't let Doyle die. He chose it. He did it so that you could keep on fighting the good fight. You have to let go of this guilt.'

'It just feels like…' Angel sighed, but didn't continue. Cordelia got up from her seat and moved around the desk towards him. Sitting on the edge of the desk, she touched his arm gently.

'What?'

Angel looked at her, and she saw the weight of what he carried. She recognised it because she saw a similar, if somewhat smaller, burden every time she looked in the mirror. 'It just feels like I've been on this particular path less than two years now. And already there are casualties. Doyle, you…'

'Hey, I am very much alive and kicking, thank you very much,' Cordy informed him.

'You're alive, Cordy. But you've been through so much these last few years. Are you telling me you wouldn't like to go back…?'

'To what? The shallow cheerleader I used to be?' Cordelia scoffed. 'Angel, yes I've changed. Yes, the visions have altered me. For the better. Would I like to get rid of the head-splitting pain? You betcha. Would I like to have more time to go shoe shopping? Sure. But would I give the visions up? No way. They're part of who I am now. It'd be like taking away my ability to accessorize.'

Angel smile in spite of himself. 'Kathy thinks she might know a way to help with the headaches. She still has a few… kinks to work out. But in the meantime, how about talking to her about some herbs or meditation or something?'

'Will it stop you from worrying?'

'No.'

'Will it get you off my case at least?'

'Maybe… Temporarily.'

Cordy sighed and stood up. 'Guess I'd better go talk to your little sister then.'

'Thank you.'

'But first we'd better get back to the case.'

Angel smiled as he got up to follow her from the room. 'You've got a one track mind, Cordy.'


Angel briefed the team about the latest murder, including the chilling detail that the victim had been alive when the cutting had begun, and that torture had been involved. He had also managed to find out the victim's name from her driver's license – Denise Kaye. Cordy immediately jumped online to try and find some information on the girl.

'The monk guys that showed up talked about their leader. The Vessel, they called him. The Vessel of the Word. Said he was the one who killed the girls.'

'Some kind of high-priest for the order?' Wesley speculated.

'Guys?' Cordy said from behind her computer. 'There was a missing person's report issued for Denise Kaye. Yesterday. She'd already been missing for 24 hours.'

'Missing?' Kathy asked. 'But she was murdered in her own apartment.'

'So either her captors took her back there, or she escaped and they followed her,' Wesley pondered the new information. 'Cordelia? Check on missing person's reports for Melissa Simpson. If she was kept for a period of time also, it may have something to do with the murder ritual.'

'Okay…' her fingers tapped on the keys for a moment. 'Here's something. Some journalist managed to score an interview with one of Melissa's neighbours. Apparently her store wasn't open for two days prior to the murder.'

'That's our pattern,' Kathy said. 'Whatever they're doing to them takes two days.'

'Which means, they might have a girl right now,' Angel said. 'And we don't know where. Gunn, did you get any information from your sources on where these guys might be hiding out?'

Gunn shook his head. He had arrived back in time for the meeting with very little information. The sources he had managed to corner knew next to nothing about the monks, and the little they knew was sketchy at best. He had been given at least 4 possible locations for their headquarters.

Wesley had faired no better. He had been unable to locate any information about the mystery word, and had begun instead trying to find information on the book that had been stolen from Melissa's apartment. So far he had only uncovered very general descriptions of its contents.

'From what I can tell, the book that was stolen contains details of Shamanic rituals and spells. It's called the Lewe Seën text. Translated, it means the Blessed Life…' Wesley trailed off, suddenly thinking of something. ''Lewe', the African word for Life and 'Seën', the word for Bless…' he muttered to himself, grabbing a book from the vast pile on the table and leafing through it. 'Of course, why didn't I think of it before…'

'Care to share, Wes?' Cordy asked expectantly.

'The word we've been trying to translate. Doodheks. It's not Latin or anything like that. It's of African origin. An old Shamanic word. 'Dood' meaning death and 'Heks' meaning witch.'

'Witch Death?' Kathy asked. 'But why would a religious order opposed to all forms of magic and paganism be using an ancient Shamanic word in a prayer?'

'It isn't just a word,' Wesley answered. 'Doodheks is a demon. And a vicious one at that.'

'So the order of the Purest Word has done a deal with a demon,' Angel said.

'Hasn't everyone one at some point?' Cordelia commented wryly.


To Be Continued...