Part 6

Alexandra opened the door to her room and walked over to her closet. Just as she placed her hand on the knob to the door she realized someone was watching her.

Rachelle was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed over her chest and eyes burning with anger. "Bitch," she said.

"What?" Alexandra turned facing her. "Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing in my room?"

Rachelle laughed. "You're asking me?" Her eyes darkened. "Where is it?" She pushed Alexandra into the closet door. "Where have you hid it?"

"Hey!" Alexandra protested and pushed back sending Rachelle flying across the room and crashing into the desk. Rachelle ended up on the floor, on her butt, a shocked expression on her face.

"What did you just do?" she gasped.

"Listen," Alexandra said, "I understand that you need to have some kind of psycho episode, but could you please have it somewhere else? I'm busy!"

"You have some nerves lady," Rachelle said as she got on her feet, "interrupting honest people, assaulting them stealing from them. And then you just go on as if nothing has happened. Are you surprised I've found you? It's nothing compared to how surprised you will be when I fuck you up for life, bitch!"

During Rachelle's whole outburst Alexandra watched her calmly. "Are you finished?" she said, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Not until I have the sword in my hand."

"Well, you have to find the sword before you can take it."

"I'm gonna beat it out of you, bitch!"

"Go ahead, I'd love to see you try."

Rachelle screamed, her fists balling, her teeth grinding at each other -- it seemed inevitable that clawing and hair-pulling to follow, however, Rachelle regained her control with a sigh as she placed her hands on her hips and smiled.

"You don't even know what's hit you," Rachelle said and locked her eyes into Alexandra's. "You have no clue what's hit you."

Alexandra kept the gaze for a few seconds then she laughed. "What's hit me?"

Rachelle's smile faded. "What the hell?" she said and swallowed. "It's... no way!"

"No?" Alexandra said and opened the closet. "No, what?"

"You... you don't feel it?"

"Feel... it?" Alexandra asked and reached into the closet, a smile on her lips as she pulled out the sword. "Better bring out that secret weapon of yours... girlfriend."

"What have you done? How?"

Rachelle tried to stare Alexandra down while the other woman approached her with the sword nonchalantly in her hand.

"This the sword you wanted back?" Alexandra said and pointed it at Rachelle.

Rachelle started to back away. She realized she was in a dangerous situation. "You're supposed to do what I tell you... put the sword down! Now!"

"Okay," Alexandra smiled and continued her approach. She stopped and looked down at the sword before she smiled up at Rachelle who had climbed Melissa's bed. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"What are you gonna do?" Rachelle whispered and moved into the farthest corner of the bed.

Alexandra pursed her lips. "Let me see."

"Okay, listen," said Rachelle and stood in the bed. "I think I will leave now."

"No," Alexandra grinned. "Not before I've returned this."

With that she aimed a blow at Rachelle. The other girl was trapped in the corner and trying to parry the sword one hand passed in front of it and the other hit it without pushing it aside. Rachelle cried as the hard metal pierced her.

"Oops," said Alexandra.

Rachelle's eyes were opened wide, staring at the weapon buried in her body. She shook and slid down on her knees. A gasp passed her lips and she stared up at Alexandra with eyes wide as saucers.

"Do you like having the sword back?" Alexandra said and pulled the sword free.

Rachelle was pulled along and fell off the bed and onto the floor with a throaty groan. She struggled to get up, her hands clawing at the green carpet.

Alexandra looked down at her. "I think I've killed you... Now I'm going to go kill someone else."

They were hiding behind some bushes, by the water, no more than fifty yards from Dawn's house. Alexandra was holding her sword, Keshet and Gail had swords as well. Phoenix had an axe.

"I'm still not sure I like this plan," Keshet mumbled. "You don't know Aure, you can't just waltz in there and try to kill her, she's gonna kill you instead."

"Well," Alexandra smiled. "Not if she thinks I'm her friend."

"So what are you going to do? Walk over, knock on the door and chop her head off?"

"Exactly."

"And what if she knows something is up?"

"That's what I need you guys for. After I've gotten in I want you to attack through the back door."

"That plan is insane," Gail protested.

"It's insane to sit and plan behind a bush," Keshet added. "What kind of fucking ad hoc crap is this?" The last she said to Phoenix.

"Hey," Phoenix said and raised his hands. "Calm down."

"What kind of fucking wimps are you?" Alexandra said. "Either we do this now, or you can go fuck yourself and I'll do it myself. Just for the hell of it."

"Okay, okay," said Keshet. "Just calm down. We'll do this but I swear, if there is any sign of danger..."

"Wimp."

"Hey," Phoenix interrupted before Keshet could reply. "Lets do this nice and calmly. Okay? No more fighting."

Alexandra smiled. "She's gonna be so surprised when I chop her head off."

Keshet gasped.

"Not you," Alexandra said. "I don't give a fuck about you."

When Alexandra stepped into the hallway of Dawn's house she knew something was wrong. She had walked to the front door, and knocked. She held her sword in her hand. When Dawn came to open Alexandra was surprised at how easily she accepted her story about the sword and why she was there. She should have understood something else was going on.

Just as the door closed behind her she saw a tall man by the staircase to the second floor. She had time to wonder about who he was before she felt an invisible force grabbing her and throwing her to the floor. She couldn't see her attacker, and all she could feel was a pressure against her chest holding her pinned to the floor.

"Fucking hell," she gasped.

"Es asantu nocienduc ipul," Konrad said and Alexandra felt how she sunk into darkness.

Melissa was standing in Konrad's waiting room. She was staring through a window down on West Avenue. The street was full of cars.

"If there was any other way," Dawn said behind her.

"You want me to tell her she raped me. Goddamnit! I've just met her, and we're supposed to be roommates for the rest of the term, and you want me to say that to her!"

"I know it's an extreme thing to do."

"To say the least. What if she doesn't believe me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I... I wasn't exactly resisting her..."

"Listen," Dawn stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Alexandra is in extreme danger right now and we need to use whatever measures we can to save her."

"Is she gonna make it?"

"I don't know." When she saw Melissa's face going pale she added, "but I promise I'll do everything I can to help her."

Melissa wrapped her arms around Dawn and pulled her closer, but when Konrad and Philip appeared from the office, a few seconds later, she stepped away from Dawn again.

"I'm ready," she said and noticed how Dawn's eyes shimmered.

"Just tell her what we agreed on," Konrad said and nodded.

"Yeah... I'm raped. I'm pissed. I'm going to Dawn's place."

"Exactly."

When Alexandra lost her consciousness Dawn grabbed her under her arms and lifted her.

"Get her legs," she said.

Philip rushed over to them and took Alexandra's legs.

"They're approaching," came Melissa's hushed warning from the top of the staircase to the second floor. "You've got about one minute before they're here."

"Take care of her," Dawn said and pushed Alexandra's unconscious body into Konrad's arms. "You come with me," she nodded to Philip. "Come down here," she said to Melissa, "and help Konrad get Alexandra up to the room."

Melissa run down the stairs. Philip handed Alexandra's legs to her and hurried after Dawn. Together Konrad and Melissa carried Alexandra up the stairs while Dawn and Philip went into the dark living room.

"Remember," Dawn whispered. They could already see the three shadows sliding through the garden. "If they start shooting, get down, keep down and let me take care of it."

"What if they shoot you?"

"I wont let them."

"Eh... okay."

Dawn moved away from Philip and disappeared in the shadows on the other side of the room. For a short moment he felt like he was alone. Out in the garden three demons approached, and he was alone. He shivered and grabbed his sword tighter. Aim for the throat, he thought and felt his heart beating fast and loud. There was a low sound from the French doors. My God, he thought and tried to locate Dawn. What if she had left him alone? Besides what can a girl do against demons? He hadn't forgotten how strong they were.

The door opened and three shadows slid through it. Philip had almost decided to turn and run by then but he realized he was trapped between the shadows and the only other exit from the room.

Dawn switched on the ceiling lamp and Philip blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the light. The three demons seemed to have the same problem though and Philip had time to get up and into his assigned position before they turned facing him. He swallowed. He was supposed to stop these three from getting back out.

"Well, well," came Dawns voice from the other side of the room. "We've got prominent visitors. Having a hard time finding the doorbell?"

"Aure," Gail said and raised her sword.

"Fuck!" Keshet raised her sword too.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you," Gail continued.

"No," Keshet said but neither Gail nor Phoenix listened to her as they charged at Dawn.

Konrad got on his feet, and while leaning his hands on his desk he riveted his eyes on Dawn, Philip and Melissa in turn.

"We're going to exorcise her," he said and walked around the desk. "We'll need some place to perform the ritual and we need to catch her at that place."

"I think I know exactly where she'll wanna go," Dawn said.

"I'm still having a hard time grasping all this," Philip said. "You mean she's possessed?"

"Yes," Konrad said.

"But how? What has happened to her?" Melissa asked.

"Alexandra has been possessed by an Aaidiash demon. Their modus operandi is very unique. They can possess people but they cannot control them fully, at least not in the start. The only hope for the demon to get a firm grip on its victim is to place the victim in situations she'd want to escape. The mental distancing from the situation makes it possible for the demon to take over more and more."

"That would be sex with me and Melissa?" Philip asked.

"It's usually about sex, yes," Konrad said.

"How do we stop them?" Melissa asked.

"We must be very cautious or the demon may harm Alexandra permanently. If the demon senses any danger it can 'leap' out of the body."

"Shouldn't this be something we'd want?" Philip asked.

"No, definitely not! In nine cases out of ten a leap leaves the victim's body in shock, sometimes leading to death. We need to be able to catch them before the demon has a chance to understand what's happening."

Gail raised her sword and aimed a blow at Dawn's neck. Just as the blade was about to connect, Dawn dove to the side rolling over the floor. She got on her feet by the French doors. Gail didn't notice what had happened a first. Then she felt the pain, and the hot liquid running down the front of her body. She looked down and noticed a long open gash across her lower chest. Gail staggered towards the door while Dawn attacked Phoenix who was still unharmed.

Philip almost managed to kill Keshet alone. He sneaked up behind her at the same time as Gail and Phoenix attacked Dawn but as he raised his sword for the killing blow he hesitated. He was about to decapitate a seemingly normal woman. She was guilty of breaking and entering but he still thought decapitation was a bit on the rough side.

Keshet sensed the danger and spun around before Philip had a chance to react. She slammed her weapon into Philip's sending his sword flying.

"What were you planning on doing, boy?" she said and placed the tip of her sword against Philip's chin. "Killing me?"