Free Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend by Linda Wisdom Page B

has me under her control.” Declan surveyed the dance floor and bar across the room. Both were filled, as usual. “Use your sources, and if you run into trouble, give them my name. I can’t imagine anyone would let her know I’m looking into her history.”
    Snips pulled his PDA out and began tapping the keys. “It will be done.” He started to move away, then paused. “But you be careful of her. Many think she was the one who killed Ratchet,” he spat out the name as if it left a bad taste.
    “You didn’t like your former master very much, did you?”
    “No one did, and he didn’t care as long as we did what he wished. But that doesn’t mean she should have been the one to destroy him. And it means she’s dangerous.” Snips sniffed and then left Declan alone.
    And that was exactly how the half-fire demon felt, even in a room crowded with creatures from every realm. He rolled the sphere in his palm.
    For a moment, he imagined he could feel the light coolness of Maggie’s touch against his skin.
    He hungered for it again.
    ***
    “He asked for my number,” Sybil chattered away in the car.
    “And you were a good little elf and didn’t give it to him.” Maggie downshifted as she turned a corner. Her silence was telling. “Please tell me you at least checked him out!”
    “Definitely.”
    “Not his ass… him overall. You did some interrogation mojo on him, right?”
    “He knows I’m with the Guard. Do you really think he’d try something?”
    “Hmm, let’s see. There was that gremlin we brought in two months ago. He knew you were with the Guard, and he also thought you were a total pushover. Which you almost were, because he trotted out a sob story worthy of a midnight soap opera on the Supe Love Channel.”
    “I went through my usual list of questions as we drank and danced, and his answers were all I hoped for,” she assured her friend.
    Her cell phone chirping “All Star” interrupted Maggie’s comment about sanity having more than one meaning . Without looking down, she tapped the Bluetooth button on her steering wheel to answer.
    “O’Malley.”
    “Tell your friend that Algar has to cancel their dinner date this weekend. He’s been called back to the Dark Country.” Declan’s voice flowed through the microphone like smooth jazz.
    Maggie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “How did you get this number?”
    “What did you do to him?” Sybil demanded, practically leaning across Maggie.
    “Trying to drive here, babe,” Maggie told her.
    “I want to know what you did to him, Declan!” Sybil’s voice grew shrill even as she still partially obstructed Maggie’s vision.
    “Syb!” Maggie pushed at her friend’s shoulder. “I can’t see the road!”
    “Algar’s a great person, and there was no reason for you to mess with my social life,” Sybil growled.
    “Trust me, there was an excellent reason.”
    “I want to know how you got this number!” Maggie chimed in.
    “Sweet dreams, Maggie.” He clicked off.
    Maggie muttered a variety of curses in multiple languages while Sybil added a few of her own.
    “That’s it. I’m dragging that Anna in tomorrow.” Sybil fell back against her seat. “My eight brothers weren’t allowed to mess with my social life, so there’s no reason for him to think he can.” A soft chirp sounded from her bag. She pulled out her cell phone and began reading. “Oh, boy.”
    “‘Oh, boy’ what?”
    “Yours isn’t the only cell number Declan dug up. He texted me a report on Algar. It seems that son of a whore has a few side businesses we need to check into.” Sybil’s delicate features turned hard.
    Maggie grimaced. “So Declan did a good thing.”
    “Yes.”
    “Oh.”
    Sybil looked at the witch. “Did you do something?”
    Maggie took a deep breath. “Remember Jim Morrison singing about lighting his fire? Well, I guess you’d say I doused Declan’s.”
    Her friend gaped and then burst out laughing. “Let’s hope he’s wash and