Read Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend for Free Online Page A

“A wonderful incentive to study hard.”
    Maggie stopped abruptly, pulling on his hand. “You were beaten?” She huffed a laugh and shook her head. “Of course you were. No wonder most of you turn out psychotic.” She winced as her palm lost skin on a rough boulder. A whispered spell instantly healed the flesh. “At least some magick works here.” She gripped his hand tighter when she started to slide on the loose rocks.
    Declan pulled her upright, for just a moment holding her so close she could feel the hardness of his muscular body, waiting as she nodded she was okay.
    “So tell me about yourself, Declan. What do you do when you’re not in the club? Follow the volunteer fire department? Go out to the elder home and perform tricks? You must save a fortune in heating bills.”
    Declan chuckled. “You enjoy being a smart-ass, don’t you?”
    “It’s a gift,” she said with appropriate humility. “If I can’t take my enemies down with my Guard skills, I talk them to death.”
    He smiled and shook his head as he followed the upward path. “Or blow them up.”
    “Now that was an accident,” she defended herself. “I didn’t realize the Bloater would burst into gooey bits so fast. I almost clogged the shower trying to get that nasty stuff off. So come on, dish, big boy. What do you do during your off hours when you’re not climbing Mount Everest?”
    “I’m actually a quiet guy. Like you, there are times when I’m happy to settle down with a good book and a glass of wine. What about you? What else do you do besides going into clubs and destroying them?”
    “Not my fault, remember? Last week I played dogcatcher.” She began to regret talking, since now the taste was in her mouth. She wondered if a marathon toothbrushing and using several cases of mouthwash would erase the nasty flavor.
    “As in—?”
    “Caught a hellhound that got off his leash and returned him to his owner. That critter decided I was his mommy, and yuck! Have you ever had one lick your face?” She mimed gagging. “A hellhound’s breath is about as rancid as you can get.”
    “What about when you’re not on duty? What do you do for fun?”
    “End up in someone’s dream. So how do you think this happened? I’ll be honest. I’ve never shared a dream with someone before.”
    “I couldn’t say.” He stopped and produced a water bottle, handing it to her first. “But I’m not sorry to see you here, Margit.”
    “At least you haven’t asked what my sign is.” She was grateful to find the water tasted cold and refreshing without any tang from the sulfur around them.
    “I gave up pick-up lines years ago.”
    She handed the bottle back to him, experiencing an odd flutter in the pit of her stomach as she watched him drink. “You’re not what I expected of a fire demon.”
    “Half,” he corrected her. “My mother was human.”
    “It looks like you take after your dad.”
    Declan’s expression darkened. “Not exactly a compliment.”
    “Fine, no more said.” Maggie looked up, relieved to see they were almost at the top. She fanned herself with her free hand. “And I thought Texas during the summer was hot. You really need to consider cooler destinations for your hikes, and I don’t mean the Andes, either.” She allowed him to pull her up the last few steps until they stood on the edge.
    “What do you think?” Declan looked down.
    Maggie followed his gaze, staring at the rich red, orange, and black colors that the molten lava comprised as it bubbled up amidst the dark smoke. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said softly, feeling in awe of the force of nature that was so close to them.
    “It’s a humbling experience,” he replied quietly. “All it takes is one good rumble, and the lava bubbles up and out.” His gaze moved to the ground a few feet to their right. “What do you know.” He placed his hands at her waist as he pointed in the direction he was looking. “Look there. Can you see