Even though I was thinking about taking charge and using my differences to my advantage, my hand itched toward the ring to call Andromalius for help. However, the moment I reached for it, I realized it was gone, which made sense since an angel would have known how to guard against it.

"I told you we should have dealt with her permanently," Ahriman said. "But oh, no, you had to show the Angelic mercy, whatever that might mean. Once she gets her way, we will all cease to exist, cease to matter, demon and angel alike."

"We are not the same, never put our brilliance next to your darkness," Valerie, or whatever her real name was, said.

It wasn't every day that you learned that your psychiatrist was actually an angelic being eager to thwart your efforts to make the world a better place, one person at a time. From what my grandmother told me, that was all I was ever trying to do, so these supernatural beings trying to remove me from existence didn't make much sense.

"Need I remind you that you were the one who insisted we give her the potion to make her more susceptible to our hexes which finally led to our erasing her memory about her origins?" Ahriman asked jeeringly. "Wasn't that far more similar to the cruel mind games we demons are said to play than it is to your angelic ways?"

The fact that angels and demons made a pact to destroy me was horrifying to say the least, but it appeared that at least it wasn't everyone. Not everyone was out to get me, but having no power to speak of it was still enough to make me feel helpless.

"Wasn't convincing her she was bad luck, that she caused the deaths of all her loved ones crueler than anything Hell could have thought of?" Ahriman continued stabbing with words as if they were daggers. "Didn't you insist on me including that little part about her causing Andromalius's death if she didn't agree to let us erase her memories? You even came up with asking for her wings, her powers as the price to pay for our 'help'."

I pressed my eyes even more firmly closed, not wanting to reveal that I was awake yet, not when they were giving answers to my questions far better than either Grandma or Andromalius. Still, it was getting increasingly difficult to pretend because every new piece of information made me almost gasp in shock.

"I thought I was doing the right thing, protecting my kind," Valerie said through tears. "It sounded like she was too dangerous for our way of life. I didn't think it would turn out this way."

"You know what, "Ahriman said, annoyed. "If you don't have the guts to do what has to be done, then just step back and return when you stop being a coward. I got this for now."

The only answer I could hear was the whoosh of the wings. Clearly, I was left all alone with the malicious being who seemed so determined to kill me just because I could potentially bring about change. Could change be such a bad thing?

I quickly opened my eyes, not trusting the creature enough to continue feigning unconsciousness, and saw its menacing eyes mere inches from my face. It took all the bravery I had in me to stop myself from screaming my head off.

"Finally awake, are we?" Ahriman said with such bitterness and hatred that it made my skin crawl. "I guess we can go on with the next segment of the show then."

All the torture methods I'd seen in movies or read about in books ran through my head as I started preparing for the worst. The ones used in Hell were probably far more innovative than anything I could imagine, but that didn't stop me from trying.

Instead of pulling out eerie torture instruments, the being pulled out my ring and pressed hard with a malicious look in its eyes. It obviously knew what the piece of jewelry was about to do. It was a trap, and the weird symbols written on the ground where he threw the ring after pressing it confirmed my worst fears.

There was nothing to do but close my eyes and pray that he couldn't come, that his wounds were still fresh enough to stop him from using his powers. It was the strangest feeling ever to pray for help not to come.

A loud thump and a painful hiss told me that all my prayers were in vain; he came as promised. Never one to break his word, not like me.

The painful slash at my heart, followed by the cold surge of fear, was expected. Memories or no memories, I loved Andromalius. I was terrified for his safety. What was worse, meeting me was what led him to this snare. If it weren't for me, he would have still been safe.

Suddenly, I stopped, realizing these thoughts weren't my own. I shook them off like fleas and focused on what to do. We were both trapped, and I felt it was up to me to save us this time.

"Angela, are you okay?" Andromalius asked the moment his disoriented look managed to focus on his surroundings. "Did they hurt you?"

As he said that, he started walking toward me but slammed into some invisible barrier that had him reeling in pain. My assumption was that those were runes used to keep the angels contained, or at least that's what my vast knowledge of movies and books made me assume.

"Andromalius!" I screamed, trying to tear up the ropes that bound me upon noticing a trickle of blood coming from his nose. "I'm fine. Don't move. Stay there. Everything we'll be okay."

I was talking nonsense, and we both knew it. However, the mere confirmation that I was okay had Andromalius relax significantly. He was starting to assess our situation and plan what to do next.

However, I felt like brute force was his strong point, but mine was thinking. It occurred to me that I might be able to talk our way out. But to be able to do that, I needed to know what the creature wanted. What its reasoning was. Know thy enemy and all that.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, looking Ahriman in the eyes, doing my best to avoid seeing the teeth. "Even though I don't remember many things, I am reasonably sure I never hurt you."

The loud, screeching laughter that followed was almost deafening. But at least it was succeeded by an explanation which made things easier for me.

"You didn't do anything, but what you were about to accomplish was going to spell out the end of Hell, the end of us demons as well as angels," Ahriman said confidently, clearly believing every word he was saying.

"I am not sure I follow," I said as meekly as possible, not wanting to further antagonize the beast.

It clearly couldn't kill us yet for one reason or another, but I wanted to avoid torture as well. I was sure I wouldn't be able to endure it no matter how tough I acted, and Andromalius's injured body would be even worse at withstanding the pain at this point. So, I needed to tread carefully and play the meek, scared fool.

"Your destiny was written a long time ago," Ahriman said, spitting at the word 'destiny' as if it was the foulest one he had ever pronounced. "You were to bring about change to the world. The type of change that made demons lose their jobs. And if we lost that, we would be nothing. We are what we do, and without tormenting people, we would cease to exist. I can't allow for that to happen."

The finality of his words made me realize that even though I wasn't so sure his way of thinking was correct, he believed I would bring about his demise, the death of everyone and everything he ever knew. There was no way I could convince him to let go of that fear, to release us.

It was a heart-stopping realization.

I was always good at talking with people. I understood them and could convince them to see things from my point of view, even if for a second, which was usually enough.

This time, I was fighting a losing battle.

"But enough with the chitchat. I have to go. You two stay there," Ahriman said, chuckling since I was tied up while Andromalius was trapped with no chance of escape. "I'll just go and fetch Agelu Fasia and get this over with once and for all."

"What is that?" I asked Andromalius with trepidation.

"The Angel Killer, the special sword that is the only thing that can kill your kind and mortally wound mine," he said, his voice shaking on the first part.