Read FUR FOR ALL, Book 5 in FIXED for Free Online Page B

“That’s the bulk of it. The herbs range from fragrant to flavorful, though most of what I have is medicinal in one way or another. I’m a licensed herbalist, so I make blends for specific problems people might have, and I tailor remedies to specific people.” 37

    Christine Warren
    “Wow, that’s really cool. I’ve always found the idea of herbal medicine to be a fascinating subject. How did you get into that?”
    “It’s sort of a family business. My grandmother was an herbalist, too, though she did it for her family and her neighbors without making a career out of it.”
    “Cool. And you said you sell teas, too?”
    Tess nodded. “Good quality loose leaf from all over the world. And I make up my own blends to sell as well.”
    “I’ll have to come see you and try some. And maybe see if you’ve got something to put fussy, cranky baby werewolves to sleep a little faster.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “So that’s it? Herbs and medicines and teas?” Tess started to nod, then shrugged. “Well, I do readings, too, when things slow down. It’s a nice extra income.”
    Missy looked curious. “What kind of readings? Tea leaves?”
    “I don’t have the patience for that,” Tess laughed. “No, I read tarot cards.
    And the occasional palm. My grandmother taught me that, too.”
    “No way! Really?” Missy’s eyes lit up like a teenager’s, and she almost bounced on her stool with excitement. “Oh, now I definitely have to come visit.
    I’ve always wanted to have a reading done, but I never knew if I could trust any of those readers who put their signs out in their windows and call themselves Madam Juniper, or whatever.”
    “Some of them aren’t bad. You just have to be careful, and take things with a grain of salt. Like, some people think tarot tells the future. It really doesn’t and anyone who says it does is lying. All it does it point out what sort of circumstances are happening around you and how those circumstances could turn out given your current way of thinking. It’s totally changeable.” Tess shifted in her seat and felt one of her inner jacket pockets bump gently against her side, as if reminding her what she always carried with her. Some people kept 38

    Fixed 5: Fur For All
    emergency flashlights. She kept emergency divining tools. Probably because she was a witch, not a Boy Scout.
    She looked at Missy and reached into the pocket. “Actually,” she said slowly,
    “I have a deck with me now. If you want to see a really quick idea of what it’s like.”
    Missy’s expression took on a glow of excitement and she clapped her hands together. “Oh, you wouldn’t mind? I’d hate to put you out, but I would adore that. If you’re not too tired?”
    Tess shook her head and pulled out the velvet pouch that held her favorite deck. “Not at all. I knew I’d be up late, so I took a long nap this afternoon. But since we don’t know how long the guys will be, I won’t do an entire spread. I’ll just let you ask some specific questions and throw down a few cards to try and answer each one. If that’s okay with you?” The other woman nodded. “That’s fabulous. Whatever works for you.”
    “Great.” Tess handed the cards to Missy. “Then go ahead and shuffle these and just give them back to me whenever you feel like you’ve shuffled enough.” Missy nodded and began shuffling the oversized cards, a frown of concentration creasing her forehead. Tess waited patiently, letting her mind wander into the right space for a reading. After all the years she’d been doing them, it only took a minute. Contrary to what most people believed, tarot had a lot less to do with the supernatural than it did with psychotherapy. Reading cards didn’t require magic powers, just a creative mind and an understanding of the ways people think. Tess had always found it to be a funny coincidence that she was both a witch and a tarot reader, rather than a given.
    She accepted the cards when Missy