Adrian followed the two females from a distance as they made their way through the dark corridors of Hell. Adrian bit back a laugh as he thought of how it was not all that long ago when he had broken out of Hell. However, he was more interested in watching Angelique, the way she moved when she walked, the way her hair rippled down her back like a small waterfall, the way she . . . Adrian shook his head at some of the thoughts entering his mind. What in the world is it about this woman?

He remained hidden in the shadows as he watched Angelique and Valerie approach his father's - soon to be his - throne. "Satan, I think I have found the one we've been looking for."

Satan turned to the two women who had approached his throne unannounced, then blinked in surprise. "It's good to see you again, Valerie, and who is this?"

Valerie gave him a serious look. "I think Angelique is the One, your Evilness. Adrian has been following her and trying to discover why he feels drawn to her."

How in the hell did she know that? Adrian listened closely as the discussion became more serious. He watched as Angelique cocked her head as ig she had heard some side conversation, then turned to see if she was being watched. Adrian was too far back in the shadows for Angelique to notice him, yet it was almost as if she sensed his presence. Unable to see anything, Angelique shook her head and turned her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Then she is the One. If Adrian is attracted to a woman who doesn't even know him and she presents this powerful aura all the time, then she is the One from Prophecy." Satan studied Angelique's face and sighed. "She has the mark . . . it's almost invisible, but its there. The same symbol which Adrian wears as a medallion around his neck. Angelique, I'm going to warn you that your life will be dangerous from hereon in. We must keep you protected from Adrian's advances at all costs."

"Not to sound rude and uneducated," Angelique interrupted, "but why do I need all this protection? Why is Adrian so drawn to me?"

Satan sighed. "The mark on your forehead is part of it. It's drawing Adrian to the One of Prophecy, just as it is written. The reason we have to keep the two of you separated is, according to Prophecy, you two are destined to either rule or end the world together. His attraction to you is unavoidable, since it is foretold that you will be . . . ahem . . . you will be his . . . his mate."

My mate?!?!?

"His . . . mate?!?!?" gasped Angelique. Then she did exactly what any other mortal woman would do in her situation. She fainted.

--

"Angelique?"

Angelique woke to the intense heat of Hell and both the faces of Satan and Valerie looking down on her. "Are you alright, kid?" asked Satan.

She sat up slowly, letting her mind register she was still living. "I'm . . . okay. It's just . . . I never imagined anything like this would ever happen to someone like me."

Satan helped her to her feet. "What do you mean someone like you? Nothing's wrong with you."

Angelique sighed. It had been years since she shared this story with anyone. It would probably be best to tell her protectors if no one else. "When I was a little girl, my father was very abusive to us. He started off just verbally abusing us, telling us we were ugly and no one would ever care about us if we died. Then, he started drinking and that's when the violence truly began." She looked away from them, hoping to blink away the tears beginning to form. "One night, he came home drunk as usually and started beating on my sister. He wouldn't stop, even after she went unconscious, so I called the police. I had just hung up when he turned on me and . . ."

Angelique paused. "I woke up days later in the local hospital ICU. They told me after he beat on me, he went after my mother . . . then committed suicide." The tears ran down her cheeks, soothing her face as she said, "I was the only one who survived."

My god, the poor girl. Adrian surprised himself with that selfless thought before she continued. Once again, she whipped around as if she had heard his voice, looking deep into the shadows as if trying to focus and find him in his hiding spot. When she again saw nothing, Angelique returned her focus to the floor at her feet.

"I've been alone ever since. I don't feel worthy of anyone, which is why I help out at the homeless shelter. I figured I could help them feel loved if I never could." She softly cried into her hands, making Adrian feel wrenched inside.

"Angelique, why didn't you tell me about this?" Valerie hugged the woman, surprised she hadn't seen it before. "I could have helped you get through this."

"Your help isn't necessary, Valerie."

Everyone turned around and Angelique gasped at the sight of whom she assumed to be Adrian. "She doesn't need help from any of you." He pointed his hand toward Valerie, sending her flying into Satan and knocking the two of them off their feet. He turned to Angelique, who was trembling with fear. "Come with me, Angelique." He held his hand out to her. "I'll keep you safe from these pretenders."

Angelique took a step back. "I r-remember you. You tried to take your father's throne two years ago. You almost won . . . and then your brother . . . Nicky, he stopped you. He saved me and everyone else from the eternal damnation you had created for all the people in Central Park." She took another step back. "You're evil. Stay away from me . . . I'm not going anywhere with you."

"That's what you think, love." He pointed his gloved hand at her and the next thing she new, she was flying over to his side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and said to his father, "Don't anyone try to follow me or the One will die. I won't hesitate to kill her." Angelique grasped at te hand at his waist in an attempt to free herself, but there was no way she would be able to break his firm grip. Adrian took his other hand and pressed his first two fingers into Angelique's neck, making her gasp in fright. "One wrong move and the One from the Prophecy will be bleeding all over your welcome matt."He backed up with his gloved fingers pressed into Angelique's jugular vein. "Stay back." He waited until he was clear before he transported them to his hotel room.

--

"Oh, my dear God." Satan was on his knees, afraid for the poor girl his son had just kidnapped. "What have I done?"

Valerie put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault, father. We knew Adrian was bound to have Angelique one day." She sighed as she returned to her demonic form. "If it's anyone's fault, it's my own."

"Don't say that, sweetheart."

"It is my fault, Dad. I was assigned to find the One and protect her. All I ended up doing was bringing her here and putting her into more danger." Valerie looked up into the sky, where she knew the angels were probably watching. "Holly, if you can hear me, please keep Angelique safe. She's our only hope against Adrian, and she knows nothing about our planes. Please guide her and help her to keep God and goodness in her heart." She turned to her father. "What should we do to help, Dad?"

Satan rose to his feet. "We'll have to go look for her. It's our only chance."

"Not you, Dad. If you leave, what's to stop Adrian from stealing the throne? Jimmy would just get tossed out of the way again . . . and most of the demons would side with him anyways. And if he forces Angelique to marry him, he will become unstoppable." She shifted back into her human form. "I'll look for them. I can blend in with the human crowd better, anyhow."

"Alright, hon, but be careful. Adrian can be tricky. After all, he's the smartest and most ruthless out of you four."

Valerie nodded grimly. "I know. That means I'm going to have to use every once of wits I have in order to stop Adrian and save Angelique." As she walked down the dark corridor to return to Earth, Valerie feared for Angelique's safety as well as the balance of good and evil for all three planes. If anything should happen to either of those, the endangerment of all things would hang over Valerie's head for the rest of eternity.