Page 32 of Witch Bound and Down

Bertha led them through winding corridors lined with artwork that seemed to move when Hazel wasn't looking directly at it. The inn felt larger inside than it had from the outside, with impossible geometries that spoke of dragon magic at its finest.

"Here we are," Bertha announced, stopping before a door marked with ancient dragon runes. "The Honeymoon Suite."

"Honeymoon Suite?" Hazel's voice cracked.

"Don't mind the name, dear. It's just what I call the room with the best magical enhancement charms." Bertha's grin was positively wicked. "I'll have a light meal sent up in two hours—you'll need to keep your strength up for the road ahead."

She pressed an ornate key into Hazel's palm and disappeared down the corridor with surprising speed for someone who looked to be in her seventies, Hopper riding contentedly on her shoulder.

Hazel stared at the key, then at the door, then at Bullseye. "Well. This is..."

"Awkward?" he suggested.

"I was going to say inevitable."

The admission hung between them, charged with all the tension that had been building since the moment she'd landed on his car that morning. Bullseye's dark eyes met hers, and she saw her own desire reflected there, hot and undeniable.

"Hazel," he said quietly, "we don't have to—"

"I know." She turned the key in the lock, her hand surprisingly steady. "But I want to."

The door opened to reveal a room that was pure romance novel fantasy. The king-sized bed dominated the space, draped in silk and surrounded by dozens of softly glowing crystals. French doors led to a private balcony where a hot tub steamed invitingly under the desert stars. The air was perfumed with something that smelled like jasmine and magic.

"Bertha doesn't do anything halfway," Bullseye observed, his voice rougher than usual.

"No," Hazel agreed, stepping into the room, "she doesn't."

The door closed behind them with a soft click that seemed to echo through Hazel's bones. Suddenly they were alone—really alone—for the first time all day. The silence stretched between them, heavy with possibility.

"We should probably get some rest," Hazel said, though her body was humming with exhaustion and adrenaline in equal measure. "Only a few hours, and then we need to be back on the road."

"You're right," Bullseye agreed, but he made no move toward the bed. "Though I'm not sure I can sleep. Too much adrenaline."

"I might have something for that." Hazel reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small vial of shimmering red liquid. "Energy booster. Like magical Red Bull. It'll help us stay alert for the drive ahead without the crash."

"Is that safe?"

"Perfectly safe. Just a little magical caffeine." She uncorked the vial and took a small sip, then handed it to him. "One sip each should do it."

Bullseye took the vial and drank, then handed it back to her. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the potion hit her system like liquid lightning.

Energy surged through her veins, sharp and clean, exactly like she'd expected. But underneath the alertness was something else—a warmth spreading through her body that had nothing to do with caffeine and everything to do with the way Bullseye was looking at her.

"Hazel," Bullseye said, his voice rough, "what exactly was in that potion?"

"Energy booster," she said breathlessly, then noticed the way his pupils had dilated, the way his hands were clenched into fists at his sides. "Oh. Oh, that's not good."

"What's not good?"

"I forgot about the side effects," she said, heat pooling low in her belly. "Energy boosters have... complications for magically bonded pairs."

"What kind of complications?" His voice came out as a growl that vibrated through her chest.

"It amplifies existing connections," she said frantically. "Physical attraction, emotional bonds, magical resonance. It's supposed to be mild unless..."

"Unless what?"

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