Page 27 of Spellbound and Gagged

Thaddeus nodded grimly. "I think we have a saboteur on our hands."

For a moment, old suspicions flared in Juno's mind. Was this Thaddeus's way of throwing her off her game? But one look at his face banished the thought. His concern was genuine, and moreover, he'd come to her with his suspicions. He trusted her.

"We need to investigate," Juno said decisively. "But we'll have to be discreet. If the saboteur realizes we're onto them..."

"...They might do something drastic," Thaddeus finished. "Agreed. We should split up and see what we can find out before the afternoon challenges begin."

They parted ways, each taking a different section of the competition grounds. Juno moved through the crowd, ears open for any unusual conversations, eyes peeled for suspicious behavior. She was so focused on her task that she almost missed the small vial that rolled out from under one of the judging tables, coming to rest at her feet.

Curious, Juno picked it up. The liquid inside was clear, but it shimmered with an opalescent sheen that she recognized immediately. Veritas serum—truth potion. But what was it doing here?

A movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. Professor Thornberry was hurrying away from the judging area, looking suspiciously furtive. Juno's eyes narrowed. The ancient Numerology teacher had always been resentful of the attention the herbology department received. Could he be their saboteur?

She was so focused on Thornberry that she didn't notice Thaddeus approaching until he was right beside her. "Juno, Ithink I've found something—" he began, but broke off as he stumbled, bumping into her.

The vial of Veritas serum flew from Juno's hand. She and Thaddeus both lunged to catch it, colliding in the process. The vial shattered between them, its contents splattering over both their faces and robes.

For a moment, they stood frozen, staring at each other in horror as the realization of what had just happened sank in. Juno felt a tingling sensation spread across her skin, followed by an overwhelming compulsion to speak her deepest truths.

The Veritas serum was no ordinary truth potion. Unlike most tonics that simply prevented lying, this particular blend was enchanted to draw out hidden feelings and unexpressed thoughts—the deeper the emotion, the stronger the compulsion to speak it aloud. It was why the potion was rarely used; it violated the most intimate corners of the mind.

"Your eyes remind me of the forest after rain, deep and mysterious and full of life," she said to him, the words springing forth unbidden.

"Your laugh is the most beautiful sound I've ever heard, and I've missed it every day since we parted," he returned, grasping for her hand, clearly fighting and failing to control the potion's effect.

"Your stubborn dedication to your work is infuriating and admirable in equal measure."

"Your nurturing approach to herbology opened my eyes to a whole new way of understanding plants, even if I was too proud to admit it."

Back and forth they went, trading truths. With each exchange, Juno felt layers of old hurt and misunderstanding falling away, replaced by a renewed appreciation for the man standing before her. The crowd around them grew silent, watching the unfolding drama with rapt attention.

"I've compared every man I've met to you, and they've all fallen short."

"I've never stopped loving you, not for a single day."

"I never stopped loving you either," Juno said and threw herself into his arms.

The crowd around them erupted into applause, but she didn't care.

"I'm so sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing, pushing you away to focus on my career. I never meant to hurt you," he confessed.

"I'm sorry too," she replied, her voice thick with emotion. "I was so scared of how much I loved you, of how much it would hurt if things went wrong. So I let you push me away without fighting for us."

"And we've been competing ever since I came back," Thaddeus said with a rueful smile. "Trying to prove we were better off apart, when really..."

"We're stronger together," Juno finished, a smile breaking across her face.

"Juno, will you marry me?"

Joy lit through her entire being. She had never been so grateful for a truth serum accident in her entire life.

But before Juno could respond, to enthusiastically agree, Principal Malachai's voice boomed across the grounds. "Well! That was certainly an unexpected interlude. While I'm sure we're all touched by this romantic revelation, perhaps we could return to the matter at hand? Namely, the final challenge of Brewfest—the potion making competition."

As the crowd's attention reluctantly shifted back to the competition schedule, Minerva Everhart leaned over to Professor Silvergaze.

"Well," she said with a satisfied smile, "I think we've just witnessed the most compelling argument for co-leadership I've ever seen."

Silvergaze nodded. "Those two together? Unstoppable. Malachai would be a fool not to see it."

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