Michelle, knowing nowhere else to turn, sent a telepathic message to Satan. I need help! It's urgent! Before she could go anywhere, however, Adrian backed into the room, followed closely by Vladis holding out Adrian's Atlantean dagger. Vladis, get out of here! Now!

"Why should I, my dear? The fun has just begun . . . and I'm not one to leave while there's fun to enjoy." He disappeared, then re-appeared behind Michelle, grabbing her arms and holding her close to him with the dagger on her jugular vein. "Trust me . . . you're the best part of it," he whispered in her ear, nuzzling her neck and making her cringe.

"Let her be, Vladis." Adrian tried to remain calm, but Michelle could see the fear flashing in his eyes. "She has done nothing to you."

"Nothing . . . perhaps, if one is good then she has done nothing." He grabbed her tighter and Michelle had to bite her lip to keep from squealing in pain. "If one is evil - and I am, of course - then she did the ultimate wrong against me and what is rightfully mine." He threw Michelle to the floor in front of him, the dagger pointed dangerously at her stomach.

"What happened, then, that you feel so . . . wronged?" Adrian searched his mind for a plausible answer, then asked jokingly, "Did she not have sex with you or something?"

Vladis nodded, never taking his eyes off of Michelle. "That little bitch fought me until Satan was within hearing distance, saving her ass for the time being."

"You tried to have sex . . . with my woman? I realize she is alluring, but . . . you would dare rape the woman of a Satan spawn?" Adrian seemed a bit bolder now, ready to take a chance.

"You would have tried the same damn thing had I been banished and she was here in hell!" Vladis hissed, turning his full attention to Adrian. "You cannot deny it either! If you found a woman so desirable in your realm you would have taken what you wanted from her and either dumped her on her ass or taken her soul since it is the purest ever to enter hell."

Michelle took this opportunity to slowly crawl back and away from Vladis, hoping to not catch his attention as Adrian replied, "I would never take Michelle's soul!"

Vladis laughed cruelly. "You say that now, but I can almost guarantee you would've if you had met her after I had been with her. She would have meant nothing to you." He looked over at the poor girl, who had made it to the opposite side of the room. "Nice try, girl, but you'll have to try a little harder." He started toward Michelle, who was now panicking in the corner.

Adrian chose this moment to attack Vladis from behind, knocking him to the ground. Michelle stood and wasn't sure if she should run and get Satan or help Adrian from being killed.

Quickly, Michelle, run and get my father! Adrian told her as he tried desperately to wrestle the knife out of Vladis' hands.

As Michelle turned and ran for the door, Vladis managed to get one of his hands free and pointed it straight at her. Michelle immediately froze as Vladis used his powers to lift the poor girl into the air. He started closing his fist and Michelle suddenly started grasping at a pair of invisible hands choking the life out of her.

"Vladis, stop!" Adrian shouted as he watched Michelle's face turn beet red. He let go of Vladis and backed away from him. "Vladis, please . . . let her go!"

Vladis paused and turned to Adrian with a smug grin on his face, never releasing Michelle. "Here's what's going to happen, Adrian. I'm going to give you a choice. If you go through with my plans and allow my men to stab you at the ceremony, I will release Michelle now and she will live on Earth for the rest of her life. If you do not agree, I will kill Michelle now with a simple twist of her neck, and she will be tortured in Hell for the rest of eternity . . . or longer." As if to make his point, Vladis jerked his hand and Michelle jerked slightly as her face was starting to turn blue.

Adrian could bear it no more. "Vladis, stop . . . I'll do it."

"Are you certain?" asked Vladis, smirking as Michelle's struggle was growing weaker. "Would you really give your life for a mere mortal who will die eventually anyway?"

Adrian looked away from Vladis and up at Michelle. She had given up everything for his happiness, even though she would never be happy again. He sighed and, even though Michelle was telling her with his mind, Don't do it! , he said, "Yes, I would . . . and I will at the ceremony."

Vladis unclenched his hand and Michelle dropped to the floor, unconscious. Adrian immediately rushed to her side, checking to make sure she was still breathing. Once he was sure she was just knocked out, he held her close to him and glared up at Vladis, who was watching this scene with mocking disgust. "I swear you will pay for this one day Vladis. You will suffer for what you're doing."

"Maybe so, Adrian, but for now I'm going to enjoy it, which is why Michelle and are sharing a room while you and the angel-bitch are having your 'trial period' on Earth." As Adrian tried to protest, Vladis growled, "Don't forget, Adrian, I can kill her with a flick of the wrist. And if either of you intervene with my plans in any way or tell anyone else about it, you both will be stabbed with Atlantean daggers, which means you both would enter my limbo realm after your suffering. And Michelle will be mine for eternity . . . while you're chained to a tree watching me have my way with her for all eternity." He laughed cruelly before leaving Adrian to ponder this dilemma and fuss over the human girl.