Free For the Good of All (Law of the Lycans Book 7) by Nicky Charles Page A

them.”
    Gwyneth scowled, her tone sharp. “I’m trying to be nice so listen up, witchling.”
    Tina winced at the term. Being called witchling always made her feel like a child. Just because her powers had never fully appeared, there was no reason for Gwyn to ignore the fact that she was an adult. If Gwyneth didn’t scare her spitless, she’d confront the woman about it.
    “I had a vision.”
    Ah. Gwyneth hated having visions. They always put her in a bad mood.
    “What was it about?” Tina didn’t really want to know. She wanted to get back to the bar in case there was a chance she could catch a word or two of Stone and Reno’s conversation. Still, one had to tread carefully around the older witch and a show of interest might be prudent.
    Gwyneth gave a nod of approval and leaned back in her chair, her eyes half closed as if she were seeing the vision again. “It was about a wolf and witch. They were facing each other, bathed in a pool of silver light. The witch stretched out her hand but the wolf bared its teeth, snapping and growling. She didn’t heed its warning but continued to step closer. It lunged at the witch and the light that had surrounded her changed from silver to blood red. Then the witch vanished from sight completely leaving the wolf howling in the darkness.”
    “Oh.” Tina tried to hold back a shiver as a chill washed over her.
    “I don’t usually share what I see.” Gwyneth sniffed and straightened in her chair. “It never makes a difference in the end but I’ll feel guilty if something happens and I didn’t warn you ahead of time.” She turned back to her computer screen.
    “Umm... Thanks.” Tina wasn’t sure if a warning given to avoid feeling guilty really warranted a thanks or not but manners had been drilled into her. “Are you sure it has to do with me?”
    “No. It could be anyone in the vicinity. Even me.” Gwyneth picked up a receipt, seeming engrossed in her work again.
    Tina let out a sigh of relief and dismissed the warning. “It could also mean there’s going to be a fight at the club in the near future. It’s nearly a full moon and there’s usually some kind of an incident around then.”
    “Perhaps.” Gwyneth tapped a few keys then squinted at the screen again. “Visions and prophecies are always open to interpretation, curse them.”
    “That they are,” Tina agreed, giving her boss one last look before heading to the back storage room.
    Gwyneth was an accomplished witch. If she wanted to, the quirk of an eye brow could have a pen appearing, a sigh could bring the kettle to boil for a cup of tea. Yet, for the most part, she did things the normal way. It was safer when living among humans to act like them, she always said; no complicated cover stories were needed due to a bit of witchcraft being accidentally observed.
    Visions, however, came when they wanted and that irritated Gwyneth to no end. She liked to be in control of her magic and images of the future popping up at random times emphasized that she wasn’t.
    It wasn’t for lack of practice. Gwyn took being a witch seriously. Too seriously, in Tina’s opinion. Being a witch didn’t have to completely define one’s existence.
    Tina made a face as she grabbed several packages of napkins. How many times had Gwyn chided her for not studying the book of spells she’d given her? How many times had Gwyneth given an exasperated sigh when asked to fix a hex gone bad? How many times had Gwyn lectured her about the need to embrace their heritage?
    Tina hip-checked the storage room door shut. Unlike Gwyneth, she was a haphazard witch. Studying spells was boring and perfecting them involved too much practice. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried. Witching just didn’t come naturally to her.
    Oh, she’d had a few minor successes, enough to show the potential was there, but was it really worth the effort? Conjuring a pen when you could just grab one, boiling water when there was a coffee shop two doors down;