Page 28 of Witch Bound and Down

"No, it's not." Bullseye pushed the Trans Am harder, the speedometer climbing past ninety as they raced along the empty highway. "Corporate security. High-end, expensive, and probably armed with more than harsh language."

But the helicopter couldn't match the Trans Am's ground speed on the open highway, and within minutes they'd left it behind in the distance.

"And you know this how?"

"I've run this route before. Different cargo, similar level of people trying to kill me."

"Well, that's comforting," Hopper muttered. "Remind me to update my will when we get back to civilization."

Hazel stared at him. "How often do people try to kill you?"

"More often than I'd like, less often than you'd think." He navigated around a boulder that had apparently decided the middle of the trail was a good place for a nap. "Occupational hazard of the transportation business."

"Remind me to ask you more about your occupation," Hazel said, bracing herself as they hit a particularly rough patch. "Assuming we survive long enough for casual conversation."

"We'll survive," Bullseye said with more confidence than he felt. "Though I should probably mention, the tunnel we're heading for has some quirks."

"What kind of quirks?"

"The magical kind. Something about the mineral deposits in the rock. Electronics don't work too well in there, and magic gets... unpredictable."

"Unpredictable how?"

"Hard to say. Last time I went through, my CB radio started picking up conversations from 1952, and the truck's air freshener gained sentience and tried to redecorate the interior."

Hazel laughed despite their situation. "That's either the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, or the most terrifying."

"Why not both?" Hopper added cheerfully.

They reached the tunnel entrance just as the helicopter appeared overhead again, having finally navigated around the canyon. The tunnel mouth yawned before them like the entrance to an underground cave, which it basically was.

"THERE!" the loudspeaker boomed. "THEY'RE HEADING FOR THE MINING TUNNEL!"

"Too late," Bullseye said with satisfaction, plunging into the darkness.

The moment they crossed the threshold, every electronic device in the car went haywire. The radio started playing what sounded like a 1940s jazz orchestra, the GPS began giving directions in what might have been ancient Elvish, and the air conditioning started blowing glitter instead of cold air.

"This is..." Hazel began, then stopped as her magical aura began to shift colors like a psychedelic light show. "Oh. Oh, this is interesting."

"Interesting good or interesting bad?"

"I'm not sure yet. My magic feels... enhanced. Like the tunnel is amplifying everything." She held up her hand, and sparks danced between her fingers in colors that definitely weren't found in nature. "I think I could levitate the car again, if we needed to."

"Let's keep that as a backup plan."

"Great," Hopper croaked, his color shifting from green to a rather alarming shade of purple. "Now I'm a rainbow frog. This day just keeps getting better."

They drove through the tunnel surrounded by the strange harmonics of whatever magical field permeated the rock. The jazz orchestra on the radio was actually pretty good, and the glitter from the air conditioning made everything sparkle like they were driving through a fairy tale.

"You know," Hazel said thoughtfully, "for a day that started with me running from my own wedding, this is turning out pretty well."

"Even with the witch covens and federal manhunt?"

"Especially with the witch covens and federal manhunt." She smiled at him, and in the tunnel's strange light, she looked absolutely ethereal. "When's the last time you did something just because it felt right, instead of because it was safe or sensible?"

Bullseye considered the question. "About twelve hours ago, when I decided to help a witch who literally fell out of the sky onto my car."

"And how's that working out for you?"

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