"I'll kill you, by the Almighty, I SWEAR!" My scream echoed in the cobble stoned room. I could feel the moisture against my back, but I wasn't sure if it was blood or the dark moldy dampness that stuck along the stones. With my hands in rusty shackles pulled above my head I struggled, sweat and blood dripped down into my eyes when he hit me again.

"Emmm, oh yes, please, struggle more, MORE!" he said probably thinking I was trying to struggle to get free. His smooth and wicked tone gave me the goosebumps. He was sick, twisted and too damn handsome.

I kept struggling just to buy time. King Lou knew I wouldn't stay dead, instead, he'd kill me and a damned soul would take up residence bringing me back good as new. I hated souls of the damned, unlike souls from heaven, the damned felt foggy in my head. Years of torture, past lives of being murderers, thieves, degenerate slime, gave them a power to sometimes cloud my judgement. All that hate is a powerful thing.

My clothes were ripped, and though rumors say Oblivion is nothing but fire and brimstone, there was no heat in this cave of a dungeon. I was sweating but freezing all at once, so the rumors were wrong. King Lou, the lord of Oblivion caught me. I foolishly chased a demon down his hole when he tried to kill the Other I was protecting. Landing in the Kings lap, I knew I had made a foolish mistake.

"You'll never kill me if that's your plan, so keep having your sick fun. Heaven already knows I am here and soon you'll have a war on your hands!" I spat at him. I prayed somehow word would reach Heaven that I made another horrible mistake. I was starting to think my mess ups were just horrible perks of the job as a bodyguard. Right now, I could really use someone to guard my body.

"Haha, but my love, we are having so much fun! I know you'll give in eventually. There is always going to be a bit of pain with pleasure, so why resist me. I could make you my Queen, we could rule together. Does that not sound fun?" King Lou wasn't convincing me with those words, but with his looks, I might be swayed to the dark side.

His large emerald green eyes framed in almost alabaster skin, and broad straight nose, a pointy chin sporting a bit of fuzz. His skin looked like satin pulled hard over muscles. I needed to wake up, to find a way out of here or I'll end up on a dog chain at the foot of this Adonis's throne. For once I liked my job, but hated I couldn't die.

I was starting to pass out, he had ripped my cloths off seductively, playing an abusive lover, then cut me gently in random places along my body where my flesh was exposed. He even traced his tongue along those cuts to heal them ending with a kiss. He was having fun, I was not.

"You're crazy! I think I would find sticking a hot poker in my butt much more of a good day then play with you. Are you wanting a war Lou? Keep this up, once I am free, I'll cut off that manliness to feed to your hounds! LET ME GO!" Screaming at him I looked at his crotch trying to envision if I could actually do it, and he noticed where I was looking. I looked up at him to feign bravery and force a determined look on my face, then I smiled. He finally showed a weakness, covering his manly part with a free hand he let a little anger slip.

"I will NEVER let you go, NEVER!" Slamming the knife down on top of the stone slab table he turned towards the bowl of water and grabbed a dripping cloth from it. I noticed how nice his butt looked in jeans, and found it funny a Lord of Hell was standing in front of me shirtless with a pair of worn jeans on. His golden locks barely reached the tops of those jeans. An idea came to me.

"You know, Lou, there are better ways to convince me. I don't do well with being restrained with torturous threats and being cut. I'm more of a fried chicken, beer and movie type of gal. Get a few beers in me, and I can agree to almost anything." I said it as girly as I could muster, praying for time, or for a savior. I would play it cool, interested, and get the chance to get out of these shackles. I couldn't call on my aura or my wings, but I would find a way to escape. It's only ever in Heaven, and now Oblivion, that I can't use either. I really needed to find out why, but now wasn't the time.

He looked at me after that then smiled as he wrung the cloth of water out on the cold stone floor. His smile chilled me but at the same time gave me hope that maybe he would fall for it.

"Movie? Beer and food? Ah, are you not having fun my sweet?" he asked casually.

"Rusty shackles, blood, cold damp dungeon, not really the setting that screams romance. If you're wanting my undying devotion, you should try a little harder. Let me go, get me some clean clothes and a beer, then we can talk." I responded with as little sarcasm as I could, I needed to keep my temper and defense on the back burner for this.

He walked over to me and dabbed the sweat and blood from my face. Being careful not to put force on the cuts, he made slow movements in cleaning around them. I watched his face closely. If it wasn't for him being the king of hell I would genuinely be attracted.

He caught me watching and turned those green eyes to mine. Half cocking his smile he leaned in a bit closer to my face.

"So special you are my love, I can keep you here forever to play with me. The Almighty sure put a lot of effort into you, sad really, for him to lose a creation like you." He turned saying this as he walked away then stopped and looked back at me.

"Sad for him, but such a blessing for me." He suddenly had a lustful look feeding into his smile as he said this.

He walked over to a high back wooden chair sitting by the stone table and sat down crossing his long trim legs. He started bobbing his foot as he rested his elbows and tapped his fingers on the arms of the chair.

"Women, demons, you name it, in this place, are all drama queens! They fight over me, gossip over who's my favorite, try to seduce me! The moment I start to play with them, they beg for me to stop, and when I go a little overboard, they'd rather die than tough it out. They never try to get to know the REAL me. I have feelings, I have wants and needs. If they'd just play nicely, I would give them whatever their heart desired. But noooo, they just want me to give, give, give, without receiving. The moment I break them, they stay broken." When his verbal tirade ended, he got up fast and before I knew it, we were nose to nose. His breath smelt like honey.

"Not you. You beg to be let go, then threaten me, then you tell me you would be more pliable with food, beer and movie? You want me to seduce you!? Convince you? Tsk, tsk. I believe it should be the other way around Ayda. You should be begging me to touch you, lay with you, let me into you, not the other way around love." Saying this as turned around to go sit back down, he picked up the knife, he started pressing it into his left, long, middle finger, turning it to the point a small pearl of blood appeared, I watched in disgust. I tried harder to sway him into getting me out of these shackles.

"Romance is a 2-way street buddy. If you have emotions, or feelings, as you say, me trying to use you as a piece of party meat wouldn't be fair right? How's about you let me go, I'll even put on a dress if you want, we have dinner like normal, er, people, then sit down and have a chat? You sent me straight to the bowls of the dungeon once I got here. I haven't even had a proper look at the place. It's not every day a girl can see a Kings quarters ya know." I responded a bit enthusiastically, trying to convince him I was totally interested in what he was offering earlier.

He looked up from his sick amusement and a somewhat normal look of indifference crossed his face before he shrugged and stood up.

"Okay, if you wish. I warn you though, sweet, that the final destination of my glorious abode tour will be the grandest, my bedroom!" Saying this and then reaching into his jean pocket like a giddy school girl, he pulled out the key to unlock the restraints. I did it, but I waited and would bide my time before I would escape.