“Aren’t we fighting for the same thing?”
Hettie conceded my point with a tilt of her head. “Still, there are instances where our tactics may differ. I need your word, Lily.”
I hesitated, and then blew out a breath of air. “Fine. I won’t say anything. Why are you allowed to know but not them?”
Hettie smiled, her eyes both sad and amused, all at once. “I am The Core.”
Gus’s mouth parted in surprise, but his eyes didn’t reflect the same emotion. His face had the content look of someone who’d known this ending was inevitable.
I didn’t feel the same way. “What are you talking about?”
“Your grandfather entrusted me with the care of you, with the care of The Isle, and with the care of our people,” she said. “It is from him—my husband—that you’ve inherited the genealogy that allows you to become the Mixologist.”
A thousand questions entered my mind, but I refrained from asking any of them.
“Before he died, he made me promise to carry on in his footsteps.” Hettie’s wild personality had softened into the frame of a tired, elderly woman. “I may appear old, I may look frail, and I may dress like a popstar because I’m glamorous. But glamorous old ladies can still be badass, Lily.”
“If this is all so secretive, then why are you telling me about it?” I wanted to hear more about my grandfather, but now was not the time. Those stories would have to come later.
“Because we need you to join The Core,” Hettie said. “Without you, we are nothing. Please consider it. The risks are high, and the cost severe. If I could give you a way out, I would. The truth is that we need you, and your grandfather would agree.”
I looked to Gus, but he raised his eyebrows in question, also waiting for my response.
“Whatever you need,” I said. “Of course.”
Hettie stood up, straightened the tiara that’d slipped off of her gray hair, and hiked up the rhinestone-studded sweater around her shoulders. “Good,” she said. “Then let’s get started. I have a target on my head, and I want it off.”
I blanched. “What sort of target?”
“A target to the tune of ten million coins,” Hettie said without flinching. “Someone from within The Faction is silencing the leading voices of the resistance one by one. Apparently, I’m up next on the black list. Let’s put an end to this, shall we?”
The End
Dear Islanders,
Thank you for reading Witchy Sour! If you enjoyed it, please stay tuned for the story to continue in book three – title TBA.
In the meantime, if you have an extra second in your busy lives and enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon! They really do help us Indie authors gain visibility in the large retailers. In addition, they help other readers like yourself decide if they’d like to try the book!
Thank you again! Lily and Ranger X wouldn’t be here without you.
Sincerely,
Gina
Books By Gina LaManna
Here is a list of other books by Gina LaManna: http://bit.ly/GinaLaManna.
Table of Contents
Witchy Sour
Synopsis
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue
The End
Thank you, Islanders!
Books By Gina LaManna