Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend

by Linda Wisdom

  “Blood. She has the right blood,” Anna repeated in her musical voice. Her slender body shook violently, and she wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold. She rocked back and forth.

  “Death. Many will die once the ceremony is finished. Those who don’t will be made slaves and die under the sacred knife when it is time.”

  “I don’t like this.” Declan started to get up, but Maggie grabbed his arm and shook her head.

  “I’ve done enough damage here by opening my mouth,” she whispered fiercely. “If you speak up, you’ll be lucky not to be turned inside out and snared in a web of ice spiders. The Seers have protections that even the Guard doesn’t understand.”

  Ravenna turned toward Declan. “Did you have something to say?”

  He sat back. “Uh, no. I’m sorry for speaking when I shouldn’t have.”

  Her head inclined in acceptance of his apology, and she returned her attention to Anna. A slender hand rested on the young demon’s shoulder as Ravenna leaned forward and spoke for Anna’s ears only. Several minutes later, Anna lifted her head, appearing calmer. Ravenna poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her, then stood and moved toward Maggie and Declan with her unique glide.

  “I wish to keep Anna with me for a short while,” she told Declan. “I assure you she will be perfectly safe here.”

  “I—”

  The Seer placed her hands on his. Her skin glowed with the pearly essence of the moon, while her ethereal features betrayed no hint of her thoughts. “If you allow me, I can help Anna.”

  “She is precious to me,” he told her.

  “You may return when I call for you.”

  The door opened, and an apprentice stood there.

  “Come on, I’ll buy you coffee.” Maggie rose to her feet and tugged Declan to his.

  “I haven’t given her my approval.”

  “You gave it. You just don’t realize it yet.” She pulled him out of the room. They had barely crossed the threshold before the door closed silently behind them.

  “They’ll do their talk. We’ll do ours.” Maggie gestured forward once they left the Pavilion. She hid her grin as members of the Guard shot Declan suspicious looks as they passed them. Only her presence kept anyone from challenging the demon, even though he wore a medallion signifying he was a protected visitor.

  “I don’t like leaving her there defenseless,” he grumbled.

  “What? You think Ravenna’s going to eat her or something? Anna’s safer there than she’d be even under your care.”

  The thought of something hot and soothing spurred her toward the dining hall with its variety of eateries catering to every species’ tastes. She headed for a small bistro that offered coffee and pastries.

  “This time you get your own muffin and leave mine alone.”

  Once inside, she inhaled the rich scents of coffee, tea, and spices. “What do you want? My treat.”

  She stepped up to a small screen. After she tapped in her order, she showed Declan how to make his choice and walked over to a table set in a corner where they wouldn’t be disturbed.

  “Someone will bring it to us,” she told him. She waited until his drink, her peppermint tea, and a bowl of assorted muffins had been set before them. “What has Anna told you about what she’s Seen?”

  “Very little. She’s always so traumatized after a nightmare or when she has a vision that I don’t feel it’s right to push her.” He sipped his drink, grimaced, and set it down.

  Maggie took a drink of what she thought was her peppermint tea, made a face, and switched cups. One cautious sip told her she now had the right one.

  “What is that nasty stuff?” She mimed gagging.

  “Something only demons like. And if you want to talk nasty, whatever you’re drinking tasted just as bad to me as mine did for you.” He cupped the mug with his hands.

  “What’s he doing here?” Meech stopped by the table, glaring at Declan while keeping a hand on the sword belted at his side.

  “He’s allowed,” she told him. “What’s that?”

  “Look what I got off creaBay. Is this cool or what?” He held up a shrunken head and bared his jagged yellow teeth in a grin. “It’s Rebus the Terrible, and I got him for only $800. I even have a certificate of authenticity.”

  “If you show that thing to Reesa, she’ll probably pop the baby out right now.”

  “She’s already seen it and told me I have to keep it in my office.” He walked off with his prize.

  “He collects shrunken heads of infamous tyrants?” Declan asked.

  “No, he just loves cruising creaBay. One of my other teammates is addicted to watching What Not To Wear. To date, he’s nominated himself eighty-three times, but so far Stacy and Clinton have ignored him, and I’m sure with good reason. There isn’t all that much you can do with Frebus since he’s a walking, talking fur ball. We’re talking serious manscaping there.”

  “And you all live here in harmony?” Declan glanced toward a giant whose bald head was covered in elaborate tattoos that trailed down his cheeks and neck. The giant bared his teeth at Declan as he picked up a foaming mug and walked away.

  “Not entirely, but if any of us has issues, we take them to the training ground and beat the crap out of each other.” She delicately picked through the muffins and finally settled on one with cinnamon streusel topping. “That usually works.”

  Declan shook his head. “When we have issues, we don’t stop until one of us is dead.”

  “That sure takes the fun out of it.” Maggie nipped off a bit of muffin with her fingers and popped it in her mouth.

  He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “How much do you know about my race?”

  “I know 99.9 percent of you are evil. You prefer killing to talking. You know some downright nasty spells that can skin a being in seconds. And I’ve met some demons who are just dog ugly, which really isn’t very flattering to dogs.”

  “And you prefer killing us over talking to us.”

  She looked him square in the eye. “Damn straight. I’ve lost friends to demons. And if you had messed with any of my friends, you’d be dead already. I don’t hesitate, Declan. I know my job, and I do it well.”

  “Yet you didn’t shut down my club that night.”

  “No reason to. It was obvious you were as clueless as, sadly, I was about the Bloater. Plus I figured that the mess I left was punishment enough. And I really do compliment you on the swift cleaning job.

  “But then, you’d want the business up and running right away, wouldn’t you? All that nice coin coming in, because I’m sure you have to pay off the higher-ups who love coin even more than you do. Do you guys have, like, a demon mafia you have to pay tribute to?”

  Declan smiled. “I enjoy the way your mind works. At times, it seems to scurry around like one of those hamsters on a wheel, and then you suddenly zero in on one thing with the precision of a well-placed bullet. How do you do it?”

  “I’m a witch.” She lifted a hand and snapped her fingers. A tiny hamster appeared in her palm, sniffing her skin and squeaking away. When she waved her hand, it was gone. “I learned to multitask a long time ago. What about you? Tell all, Declan. Who did you kill, bribe, or both, to get the club?”

  “I didn’t kill Ratchet, but I think you know that already.” This time his smile wasn’t warm and friendly but revealed the predator that lurked beneath the skin. The one who’d clawed his way to where he was now. “I bet you even know where the body’s buried.”

  Maggie’s smile showed she gave as good as she got. “All I heard was his death mentioned on the eleven o’clock news.”

  “You did me a favor, Maggie. He was in negotiations with my father to use Anna as one of his whores.”

  “And you protect your own.” No way was she going to admit she knew where the pieces had been left.

  “You came here without me? And with the hottie, no less.” Elle skittered up the table leg and Maggie’s arm and attached herself to
the witch’s upper bicep. The sparkly arachnid peered at Declan. She seemed to rub her front legs together.

  “How I would love to have you in my web,” she purred. “I can imagine you could last much longer than my other lovers. Perhaps that is what I require. Do you have demon arachnids?”

  “Your tattoo is more than a little unique,” he told Maggie.

  “She’ll be impossible after hearing that.”

  “I do not like people talking about me as if I am not here,” Elle sulked.

  “Declan meet Elegance, Elle for short.”

  “Charmed.” He smiled at the spider.

  “Enchanté.” She inclined her head in a regal manner. “You have lovely manners for a demon.”

  “Since I’m in the presence of a Hellion Guard, I thought it best to behave.”

  “I would like some of that banana nut muffin,” Elle told Maggie.

  Maggie crumbled a muffin and set it on a paper plate that she moved to the next table.

  “I can still hear you.” But Elle left with a graceful scurry.

  “I’ve never seen a jeweled tattoo that was sentient,” Declan commented.

  “Elle watches my back. She also injects a lethal poison into any enemy who gets too close.” She mulled over her choices and decided on a chocolate muffin that turned out to have a creamy coconut center. “Here, you look like an apple spice kinda guy.” She handed him a muffin.

  Declan looked around the room, shifting uneasily in his chair.

  “Anna is fine,” Maggie assured him. “Ravenna can help her a great deal, Declan. Isn’t that what you want?”

  “Yes, but I also want to know what all this means. Aren’t you worried?”

  She shrugged. “You forget. This is my job. I hear violence and death, and I see it as another assignment.”

  “What kind of existence is that? You’re on duty 24-7.” He shook his head, clearly not liking the idea.

  “It’s the one that suits me. In the past, I’ve protected nobility, worked as a spy more than once, and traveled the world many times. I’ve even visited various realms. Some I wouldn’t care to repeat. I went undercover as a Pinkerton agent once they allowed women to join their hallowed male ranks, dealt faro in a Barbary Coast gambling hall, and once worked as a bartender in Whitechapel.

  “I’ve made friends and enemies along the way. More enemies than friends, but I guess that’s a given in my work. I’ve also lost friends along the way. Another given.” She looked grim for a moment as she retreated to the past.

  Declan opened his mouth to say something, then stopped when his gaze swiveled toward the entrance.

  The Anna who walked in looked more assured and less frail as she moved toward them. There was even a smile on her face.

  “Wow, Ravenna does good work,” Maggie greeted her. “I guess she did something to help you. Would you like something to drink? There are muffins left.”

  She shook her head and took the chair Declan snagged from another table.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  Anna licked her lips, glancing at him nervously. “I’ve been invited to live at the Seers’ Pavilion. Ravenna asked me to be her apprentice.”

  “No.” No hesitation.

  The female demon looked stricken at his immediate response. “Declan, this could be—”

  His jaw tightened. “Absolutely not. That can’t be the life you would want.”

  Maggie decided to chime in. “Her offer to bring Anna in is not a spur-of-the-moment invite. She must have Seen something in Anna.”

  “I want to do this, my brother.” She showed an inner strength she hadn’t shown before. “My visions have become stronger. They interfere with my sleep, and sometimes I’ve had them when I work. I’m frightened to sleep or even rest. I can learn to control the visions, and I can help with what’s going to happen. We need to find the girl before the priests do. All our worlds will be affected if we don’t.”

  Declan leaned forward, his eyes shining molten silver with flames in the center. “There is no one who can destroy us,” he hissed.

  “Uh, Declan, dial back on the anger,” Maggie warned.

  He turned on her. “Or what?”

  She gestured toward his medal, which now glowed orange. “Or you’re going to end up with a major headache. Besides, you said you brought Anna here to protect her. Fine, you’ve done your job. She’s ready to take that next step. Let her go, Declan.”

  “Fuck you,” he growled and then suddenly stiffened as Maggie flicked her fingers at the medal, which suddenly flared golden. Two seconds later, Declan was prone on the floor.

  “Ooh, I love it when they do this,” Elle crooned, peering down. “Men never listen, darling. They always think they’re right.”

  Anna cried out and bent down. “You killed him!” She looked around in search of assistance, only to discover that no one was paying them any attention.

  “He’s fine. It’s like a gallon of knockout drops. He’ll wake up with a killer headache, but that’s it.” Maggie was unconcerned. She grasped Anna’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “Did Ravenna explain to you what’s involved in your apprenticing to the Pavilion?”

  Anna nodded.

  “And you can’t tell me all the details because they have so many secrets.”

  She nodded again.

  “But it’s what you want.”

  “She said I am the first demon she’s met with such a strong gift of Sight. But I need training. I want to do it here.”

  “Demons must have Seers,” Maggie commented. “Are you saying you’d rather have Ravenna train you instead of going wherever your Seers are trained?”

  “We have Seers, but they’re not like Ravenna. Ours tend to be… darker. They only search for trouble they can increase or enemies of our kind that need to be destroyed. Looking for any chance of good isn’t allowed.”

  “I bet the depression level there is sky-high,” Maggie muttered, looking down at Declan’s unconscious body. A soft groan sounded. “Oh good, he’s coming around.”

  He moved his body as if every bit of bone and muscle hurt. “What did you do to me?” He sat up and rubbed his hand over his face.

  “You did it to yourself. That’s why all visitors are given a medallion when they enter the compound. If they show any threatening manner toward one of the Guard, they’re put down fast. You’re lucky that I did some quick work to lighten it for you. Otherwise, you would have been out for a week.” She wiped her fingers on a napkin and watched him slowly rise to his feet. “Next time I won’t interfere, and you’ll feel the full effect.”

  Declan stared at Anna. “If I deny you this chance, I’m acting like our father. I can’t do that.” He looked past her to Maggie. “You will look after her?”

  “You can visit her any time you want, Declan. Just don’t lose your temper.” She smiled.

  Anna’s face lit up. She hugged him hard and then ran off.

  “You’re like the parent watching his kid go off for the first day of school,” Maggie said, coming over and draping her arm around his shoulders. “She’ll do fine. She’ll make new friends, and it’s actually a good thing. Anna’s our first demon.”

  “Now! It’s now!” Meech ran in and grabbed Maggie’s hand, pulling hard on it and throwing her off balance

  “No.” She resisted.

  “What’s going on?” Declan asked.

  “Meech and his mate named me the vow mother for their baby.” Her heels slid along the floor.

  “Come,” Meech invited, keeping a tight grip on Maggie’s hand.

  “This won’t be messy, will it?”

  ***

  Maggie prided herself on having a cast-iron stomach. She’d been in battles where blood and gore was just a part of it.

  But now she watched a panicky Meech try to comfort Reesa, who called him every name in the book along with some Maggie had never heard before. She tucked them into her memory for future reference.

  She noticed Declan, who skulked off i
n a corner because she refused to allow him to leave the birthing room. His skin was the color of pea soup.

  “Come on, I’m sure you’ve seen worse,” Maggie hissed at him.

  “I have, but this is different.” He bared his teeth at her. “I could say the same to you. You’re female. You should be used to this.”

  She shook her head. “Not childbirth.” She straightened up. Battling a nest of smelly chupacabras was much easier than watching a woman giving birth. At least she had control then.

  “You will never touch me again!” Reesa stated between clenched teeth.

  “I love my passion flower,” Meech crooned. “Don’t worry, this will soon be over.”

  “How would you know, you insolent thing that belongs in a bog?” Reesa’s scream was piercing enough to shatter the windows.

  “The child is coming,” the healer joyfully announced.

  “Do not leave me here,” Maggie ordered Declan as he started to edge his way out of the room. She threw out a hand. The door disappeared, and he ran into a blank wall.

  She enjoyed watching the Guards’ children play in the large playground, and she had wondered at times what it would be like to be a mother. But come on, she was a 700-year-old witch. Could she still have a biological clock ticking?

  Maggie knew the mechanics of childbirth and had sometimes assisted over the long years, but she had never witnessed the birth of anyone from Meech and Reesa’s race. She just hadn’t expected the baby-size blue egg that Reesa eventually laid. She watched the midwife gently crack the surface and lift out a tiny mewling baby, quickly wrapping it in a blanket.

  “I am beginning to think that my way is so much better,” Elle announced. “Have sex, eat my mate, lay eggs, and leave them to hatch on their own.”

  “You’re a regular softie, Elle,” Maggie said.

  “You have a girl,” the midwife announced to the parents.

  Maggie took one look at the miniscule wizened face and fell instantly in love with the tiny being.

  “Hey, sweetheart, I’m your vow mother,” she cooed, allowing the youngling to wrap her fingers around her forefinger. “I’m the one who’s going to make sure you grow up to be whatever you wish to be. I’ll keep you safe when your parents aren’t here, and I’ll teach you to stand up to bullies.”