Featherlight by Laura Fields Read Free Book Online Page A

will demand that I be returned home, at any
cost. Also, I will demand that these wings be removed and that all of my senses
be returned to normal.
    With that last comforting decision to conclude my thoughts, I lathered
my new hair in shampoo and scrubbed until all the dirt was gone. Then I used
the best smelling soap on my body until I was practically glowing. Topping it all
off with conditioner, I stepped out and dried myself with one of the nearby
towels until I was squeaky-clean. Not sure what to do about my wet wings, I
patted them dry with the towel.
    Curious, I pulled the tip out from my body. It stretched, and the more
I pulled the wing out, the more I could see the evenly spaced rows of pattern.
I pulled at the other wing-tip until both my arms were outstretched. I looked
in the full-length mirror and grinned. I was an angel with wings so white they
were almost blue. My hair, skin, and eyes were luminous.
     I looked at the clothes on my bed. The top piece looked like a
tight-fitting jumpsuit that ended mid-thigh. The flip-side was cut low, ending
halfway down my back. It was all black, and I wasn’t quite sure what to think
of it. I’m more of a blue and pink girl. Heck, since my other clothes were long
gone, I guess I had no choice. Beggars can’t be choosers. Under the short
jumpsuit was a pair of what looked like black socks, but they were made out of
rubber and had thick soles. Hmmm. I pulled on my odd outfit, since I didn’t
really have anything else to wear. The shoes were surprisingly comfortable, along
with the skin-tight jumpsuit. It buttoned up the front, and the sock-boots
stopped just below the knee. Not knowing what to do with my hair, I just ran my
fingers through the short ends.
    I darted a glance at the mirror again. Was this really me? I
asked myself as I spun. The purely white wings contrasted with my black
jumpsuit, and the low cut in the back made me look lovely. More of my legs were
showing than I was comfortable with, but I couldn’t argue with the short cut.
    Marie peeked inside and said, “Oh, goodness!” She hurried inside and
immediately went for my hair. Grabbing the scissors from the side of the
bathtub, she then began trimming. Even though the last thing I wanted was to
cut off my precious new hair, I let her, because she looked like she knew what
she was doing.
    “Such gorgeous features! This will do nicely.”
    Soon enough, my new hair was layered in a short stylish cut. I could
have never pulled off the edgy look before today. But now a kind of strange
confidence was instilled into my movements, and the haircut fit perfectly.
    Putting the scissors on the dresser, she smiled and whispered, “Oh,
you look amazing.”
    I simply stared. How can you thank someone assisting your kidnappers?
    Suddenly, she went back to distant politeness. “If you would like to
follow me, someone will brief you on our, um,” she scrambled for a word, “customs.
This way, please.” Snagging the abandoned scissors and tucking them in my
pocket, I followed her out the door.

Part VI
    A beautiful woman who lounged on the couch rose to greet me. I longed
to pull back the shades of the nearest window to see where we were headed. Instead,
I gave my attention to this new woman.
    She spoke first. “Hello, I am Samantha Marshal. You must be Jacqueline
Winters.”
    I shook her hand. It was warm and soft, my increased senses detecting
everything. She was short, almost short enough to look me in the eye, and appeared
to be about 39. Her coat matched her light blue eyes and covered a white
jumpsuit similar to the one I was wearing.
    I indignantly stared her down, and she stared back with an unblinking
gaze. For some reason, that made me angry, but I didn’t look away. I could tell
she was trying hard not to glance at my wings.
    “Please, have a seat. I can see you’re already adjusting.” She looked
at me with a mixture of caution and admiration, and then gestured to the couch
adjacent to the one on which