Witchy Sour (The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series Book 2) by Gina LaManna

moving for an hour now. She didn’t even ask why.”
    “And you’re just watching her?”
    “It’s hilarious!” Hettie threw her head back and laughed so hard she choked a little on her own spit. Then she wiped the tears from her eyes and put on a very serious expression. “No, that’s not funny at all. I’m instructing her. See, she needs to learn to question authority. No good Ranger ever became famous because they followed all the rules.”
    “So you’re just trying to get her to ask questions.”
    “Ask questions, fight back, rebel against The Man—you name it.”
    I shook my head. “You have a funny way of instructing people.”
    “I learned from the best.”
    “What do you mean?” I glanced at this tiara-wearin’, booty-slappin’ grandmother with a wary eye. “Who did you learn from, and what were you learning?”
    “Come to Ranger HQ with us, and I’ll show you.”
    “You’ve been to Ranger Headquarters?” I couldn’t keep the astonishment out of my voice. “I don’t even know where that is.”
    “I worked for the Rangers,” she said. “In fact, how do you think Poppy got her job? I helped her out. But do I get a kick back from her salary? No...”
    I was stunned into silence. “Wow, I had no idea.”
    “Never judge a grannie by her leg warmers,” she said with another cackle. “That’s a second lesson for you today. I’m even teaching you for free. How do you like that?”
    Finally, Zin peeked one of her eyes open. “What are you two talking about? Hi, Lily.”
    “Just watching the training,” I said with a shrug. “Very interesting stuff.”
    “Hettie, will you tell me if I’m doing this right?” Zin asked in annoyance. “I’ve been sitting here forever, and I’m starting to get hungry.”
    “You’re doing it right,” Hettie said. “Just keep going.”
    Zin snapped her eyes shut and let out a long sigh. “This is stupid!”
    “You’ve got to stop this,” I mumbled to Hettie. “You’re making her look like a fool.”
    “I’d rather I make her look like a fool than someone else,” Hettie said, twirling to face me, a sharp cut to her words. “The Ranger career path is not an easy one. She’s got to learn.”
    “But—”
    “You think I want her to be a Ranger?” Hettie grabbed me by the arm and pulled me a few steps away. “Do you?”
    I was a bit taken aback by her forcefulness. “Uh, Zin wants the job, so I suppose she’ll try for it regardless.”
    “Of course she wants the job. She can do it, too,” Hettie scoffed. “I didn’t raise any imbeciles, and neither did my daughters. Zin can be anything she wants to be. But a Ranger? That’s a hard life. It’s a tough path, and the likelihood of her makin’ it another ten years in that business is slim.”
    My palms began to sweat, and I wondered if maybe I should encourage Zin to pursue a career with a lower mortality rate. “I didn’t realize you felt so strongly.”
    “I know the truth because I worked there,” Hettie said. “And if my granddaughter is going to take that job, you’d better believe I’ll be proud of her. I’ll wave her flag from every rooftop these old knees can climb, but what I will not do is send her in unprepared. If she’s going to succeed at the Ranger lifestyle, she needs to learn.”
    I swallowed, feeling a bit out of my league with some of this island business. A couple of weeks was not long enough to understand its nuances and culture. Plus, Hettie had a point. I’d rather Zin be rejected from the Ranger program until she was ready to face what was waiting for her on the other side.
    Zin peered through one eyelid again. “I’m really starting to need to use the restroom. Any chance I can take a break?”
    “No,” Hettie said shortly. “Keep going.”
    I made a disgruntled noise in my throat, but my grandmother silenced me with one look. We stood in silence for another minute, watching Zin sit there in pseudo-meditation.
    “Why are you here anyway?” Zin