Free Devil May Care by Patricia Eimer Page A

back to Lisa. “Try that bubble bath we got and if that doesn’t work we’ll get you some olive oil. That stuff always works, but you have to eat two tablespoons like cough medicine and it’s nasty to drink straight.”
    “Or, you could just let your feathers replenish themselves,” Brenda said. “Wings are meant to be tools to spread the message of love and deliverance to others. It’s vain to worry about their appearance beyond their usage as a tool.”
    “No.” Lisa shook her head. “I’m marrying the Crown Prince of Hell in twelve days, and I’m not going to be molting when it happens. Besides, my wings are one of my best features. Call me vain, but a girl’s got to work her best attributes where she can.”
    “Well.” Brenda swallowed. She brought her right hand up to gnaw on her thumbnail. “I think I’m going to go. Matt said that if I didn’t use my powers at all, and stayed within a five-mile radius, then no one should notice my presence. I just have to be discreet.”
    “Very discreet,” he warned her, gold sparks of power crackling along the lengths of his arms. “An absolute wall flower.”
    “No one will even see me. I’ll just fade right into the background. Besides, I’ll be less than three blocks from the library where Faith’s sister is working as a volunteer so she should mask me without any problems.”
    “Of course.” I nodded, eager for her to go so that I could get some quality time with Matt before he left for work. “What did you have planned for the day?”
    “I was going to visit the Art Museum and then the Natural History Museum,” Brenda said. “After that I thought I’d spend some time at the Carnegie Library to catch up on my reading. Then maybe I can find Hope and she’ll show me around the city?”
    “Sounds like a blast.” I suppressed a giggle at the idea of Hope and Brenda sightseeing together like a couple tourists. “We’re shorthanded on the PICU again so I’m working a double shift. If I’m not here when you get back just have Matt let you in.”
    “Right.” Brenda hurried toward the door. “I’m sorry about bringing up your weight problem, Faith. I didn’t think it was something you’d be too sensitive about.”
    I clenched my fist and fought against the very real urge to shoot a bolt of hellfire at her. Not only would it be bad manners, and potentially start a war with the Angale, hellfire stains were a bitch to get out of the carpet.
    “I don’t like her,” Lisa ground out once Brenda was gone. “And when I say that I don’t like her I mean that I’m a feather width away from outright hatred.”
    “She’s not normally this bad,” Matt said. “I think she’s just edgy because she’s in a new situation and she doesn’t know how to act. I’ll say something to her tonight.”
    “Don’t worry about it. If being called fat is the worst thing that ever happens to me, then immortality is going to get dreary pretty damn quick.” I shook my head and glanced over to see the poodle across the alley staring at me through the window over my sink. The little monster looked frazzled and that meant I was going to have to talk to Malachi about laying off his torment of the mutt. Fritzi was much too fragile for grim reaper peek-a-boo.
    “You’re letting Brenda walk all over you,” Lisa huffed. “Matt, tell her she’s letting that girl walk all over her.”
    “You’re letting Brenda walk all over you.” Matt picked his coffee cup up and took a drink.
    “I’m not. But I don’t want things to be any more awkward than they need to be.” I tried to push down the growing sense of dread in my stomach that told me the two of them were right and she was walking all over me. Even if she was, it was only for a few more days and then we’d never have to deal with her again.
    “Things won’t be awkward.” Matt grimaced. “Well, anymore awkward than having her staying on your couch is, anyway, but I appreciate how much you’re trying to