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“664… 665… Ah! We’re here mijo .” Walking through the halls of the Fox-Anderson Hotel, two men searched for their room. The older of the two, Hector Macia, was an architect who was in town for a meeting between all his bosses. His teenage son Julio came with him to get to experience life outside of Arizona.  “Let’s see what the room looks like.” Standing behind his father, Julio waited to see how he would be living for the next few days. And as soon as the door opened, the high school graduate could barely contain his smile.  The room looked like how he imagined the best hotels to be. Two king-sized beds, a large flat-screen tv, oakwood desks and tables, a clean white bathroom, soft carpet floor, and even an extra chair.  “You said the company is paying for everything?” “That’s right. Being one of the top performers paid off. We can even get any kind of room service we want,” Hector said as he picked the bed by the window and dropped his luggage.  “But we’re definitely going to find a spot to eat later tonight. It would be a waste not to explore the city.” “True that,” Julio said as he got into his own bed, putting the backpack on the sheets. “What time are we doing that?” “As soon as I get back from my first meeting.” Hector had scheduled it so he could finish it soon after arriving. That way, he and his son could spend the rest of the day exploring the town before he would have to leave him in the room for most of the day tomorrow. The meetings would be affecting the entire company, so they would be spending hours delegating and discussing. The same would be true for the third and final day.  “Works for me. I like this bed already.” Taking off his shoes, Julio kicked back and lay on the bed. If his jet-lag hadn’t gotten cured on the walk here, he probably would have fallen asleep.  “Alright, mocoso . You stay here and stay out of trouble. I’m off to do adult stuff.” “Have fun,” Julio teased.  “Yeah yeah. Be good.” Julio smiled as his dad left the room, making sure to put a keycard on the table in case his son needed it.  For his part, Julio didn’t have any intention of leaving. Not when the TV was free and he could call for any food he wanted. And especially not when the view outside his window was as good as it was.  Reaching into his backpack, Julio moved aside his extra clothes and snacks, to get to the thing he really wanted. His brown sketchbook.  Taking out a pen with it, Julio opened up to a blank page and started looking out the window. Once he had a good memory of the cityscape and skyline, he started to draw.  
Elsewhere…
 Having arrived in the city to perform her magic show the next day, Zatanna Zatara, one of the foremost magicians and sorcerers in the world, had a specific reason for choosing this hotel.  One of the reasons was the same one as to why she was performing so much. She hadn’t taken a lot of time off in almost half a year, and there was a very specific reason for that.   Him .  “I still can’t believe it. A shark man. Really?” Out of all the things she expected to see when she found John after their argument about the state of their relationship, him in bed with King Shark was not anywhere on that list.  But that traumatic sight did teach her a valuable lesson. She had been a fool for ever letting that drunk British bastard anywhere near her. She should have let him rot in the trash the first time she met him.  It would have spared her the heartache and loneliness.  Trying not to think about that, Zatanna focused on the second reason she had chosen to stay at this hotel. It was a fine one, but she had stayed at better and more luxurious places in her travels.  But none of them had a missing magic book inside of them.  According to the League (and Bruce), the last fight they had against Faust had him throw one of his books through a portal. None of them were sure where it went, so they had asked her if she could track the spell.  She could. And it led her here.  She had to show up to practice in about an hour. So, with her luggage set out and her mind cleared, Zatanna cast her spell.  “ Wohs Em Eht Koob! ”  Julio took a moment to admire his work once he finished. It wasn't at all an accurate representation of the world outside his window. But since he enjoyed drawing stylized things, he didn’t care.  The buildings were all drawn with edges and sharper points, the coloring was sharper, and the sky was drawn in a purple shade. To him, it looked cool.  “What else have we got here?” Taking a look around, Julio tried to check what else his room had to offer. He started by taking a closer look at the bathroom, which was white, clean, and ready to be used by him in the morning. The TV had a lot of channels and services available on, but there didn’t seem to be anything interesting on. Nothing aside from a few sports games and game shows that Julio didn’t care about. And despite how comfortable the beds were, he didn’t feel like sleeping just yet.  So he kept taking a look around. And eventually he settled on opening the cabinets.  He wasn’t sure what to expect, but the book he saw when he opened up the cabinet was not a bible.  He’d certainly never seen a bible that had a blank cover. Or one that was colored in black and red.  But then again, Julio and his dad had never been the religious types. So maybe The design had been changed. But this didn’t seem like it would fit the reputation a church might try to keep. Still, it looked like something worth checking out. Since he had nothing else to do, Julio picked up the book and started to skim. At first, he was just confused. There wasn’t any writing at all on the first couple of pages. They were completely blank.  “Did they really just leave an empty book inside the shelves? Guess no one who comes around here reads.”  Deciding he might as well be one of those people, Julio tried to close the book.  He tried.  But as soon as he put in effort to make the pages come together, something went wrong. His hands stopped moving. His fingers stopped listening to him. They refused to finish the motion.  “What the hell?” The curtains suddenly closed, and the light in the room seemed to dim even though it was only the afternoon. Julio’s heartbeat began to advance as the book started to glow.  It glowed blood red.  That was when the letters suddenly appeared. Letters in bright crimson. They formed a language he didn’t understand, but one that seemed strangely familiar. And they asked him a question he could not answer.  
Quid Desideras
 Julio wanted to close the book. He wanted the wind pounding in his ears to stop. He wanted his chest to stop drumming. He wished he could simply close his eyes and hide from the question he couldn’t answer.  “Hello? Room service.” The wind suddenly stopped. The letters disappeared. And Julios slammed the book shut on instinct.  Once he could breathe calmly again, Julio took a moment to gather his bearings.  When he heard the knock again, he threw the book on the floor and went to answer.  “I’m sorry. There was something I had to… take care of.” It was one thing after another. First he couldn’t speak because some evil book was in front of him.  Now he couldn’t speak because one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen was in front of him wearing a hotel service uniform.  He got lost in her blue eyes before he could muster a response.  “Oh hi! I’m… I’m Julio. Did you.. need something?” The lady seemed taken aback by his response, and Julio mentally kicked himself for coming off creepy. But she responded soon after.  “I’m checking on a call from the previous occupant. It seems they left a book here.” Julio’s eyes widened.  “Was it a black and red one?” “Yes,” the lady said with some concern. “Did you see it?” “Yeah. I mean, yes, I did. Let me go grab that.” Closing the door slightly, Julio ran over and grabbed the book. He quickly returned to the door to hand it to the beautiful woman who was making him nervous.  “This one?” “This is the one. Thank you. I hope you enjoy your stay.” “You too.” It wasn’t until she left that Julio realized how stupid that sounded.  “Uugh…” Closing the door, Julio cursed his lack of ability to be calm around pretty girls. Everyone always said that being casual and confident was the best way to keep a girl's attention. Being funny would help him keep it.  But while he agreed with the theory, he couldn’t put it into practice. Every time, every single time he got close to a pretty girl, he would mess it up the same way. He would stammer and say something stupid that would make them uninterested.  It was the reason he hadn’t been able to talk to Emilia since third grade, even though they shared classes. He just couldn’t get over the cringe of their last true interaction.  And from the way he was feeling now, he might just remember this interaction far longer than he wanted to.  “I’m gonna be single forever, aren’t I?” Sighing, Julio slowly crumbled onto the bed. He took out his sketchbook and worked out his emotions the best way he knew how: drawing.  By the time his father got back, he had already drawn a beautiful raven-haired woman five times.   “Hm. He’s cute.” It was too bad he looked like he was in high school. Otherwise Zatanna might have invited him to her show tomorrow.  But none of that mattered at the moment. She had the book she came for, and she doubted that Julio had been able to do anything with it. Unless he had any trace of magical potential, the book wouldn’t respond to him.  She would send out the book to the league in the morning. Right now, she had stage practice to get to.  “Something on your mind, mijo ?” Julio stopped staring at his fries and refocused on his place in the present. His father had gotten back, and they had both decided to check out this bistro that was a few minutes away from the hotel. The meat was really good, and Julio was able to forget about what had happened earlier. Until he didn’t.  “I…” “I recognize the face. Was she pretty?” Julio buried his face in his hands.  “Yeah. She was one of the room cleaners. She had to pick something up for the people before us. She told me to have a nice day.” Hector looked aghast. “You didn’t say…?” Julio looked at his father in shame.  “I did.” Groaning, Hector momentarily remembered his worst moments. And he felt his son’s pain.  “I don’t think I can come back from that. It still hurts.” “Oh come on. It’s not like she rejected you,” Hector said, trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.  “Thanks dad.” Deciding it was time to bring out the “sage dad advice”, Hector took hold of his son’s arm and gently squeezed.  “ Mira mijo , I know you get nervous around women. It was the same for me. But there is one lesson I learned that helped clear things up for me.” “What’s that?” “Worry later,” Hector said with a smile. “Asking a girl out on a first date is the easy part. It’s when nothing exists yet, and the two of you can just focus on having fun. The complicated stuff? That all comes later. It’s a small step that leads to bigger ones, if that makes sense.” Julio nodded, but Hector could see the doubt that was still in his downcast eyes. So he continued.  “Look at it like this. Let’s say you wanted to become an architect. There’s a lot of building, a lot of construction, a lot of planning. But it all starts with one thing.” “A sketch?” “Exactly! Asi ,” Hector exclaimed. “So the next time you’re close to a pretty girl, save the sweat for later. Can you do that?” Julio let out a breath. “I can try.” “ Asi esta bien . Now, for my advice, I’ll be taking a fry.” “You have your own fries!” Julio exclaimed indignantly. “I know. But taking them is more fun.” “No kidding, huh?” The older man and his son proceeded to mess around like children and fight over fries.  And just like that, Julio’s mood was saved.   
Elsewhere…
 Practice had gone well, and Zatanna felt ready for her show tomorrow.  The problem was that since the issue was out of her mind, the other issue in her life was not taking center stage in her head. Namely, him . Sitting on the floor of her hotel room, Zatanna sighed into her hands as she lamented how bad her relationship history was. It wasn’t that she was trying to get stuck with men that couldn’t satisfy her. It was like the universe was determined to make her stay single.  Bruce had been enticing and surprisingly gentle, but things would never work. Not with how dedicated he was to the mission. Faust’s son Sebastian was a kind gentleman that Zatanna enjoyed spending time with, but their relationship drizzled. She still had him as a friend though.  But then there was John. A beggard she should have never let into her room or her heart. Her father and everyone she knew warned her that Constantine was a belligerent asshole, but she thought she could “fix him”.  She should have known better.  But that left her as she was.  Alone, lonely, laying back on a cold bed, and completely unsatisfied. Not even sexually, she was just sick of her potential partners never panning out. She could probably try to pleasure herself for a while, but she knew she wouldn’t get any relief from it.  “Ugh. Why is this so hard?” She didn’t want to be this way, and she was tired of things never going her way.  “ The universe is always taking from me. Maybe it’s time I took something back. ”  Zatanna was not in the best state when she had that thought. Physically, she was tired, and she was wearing nothing but the fishnet stockings she often had under her usual outfit. Her eyes had bags, and her unkempt hair draped her shoulder.  Mentally, she was also exhausted from all the months and hours she had put into performing on stage. Any normal person would tell her to take some time and relax. Advice she would ignore due to heartbreak.  But spiritually, Zatanna was operating at a high level. The idea she had invigorated her, and it pushed her to follow through.  And since magic was a force that relied primarily on spiritual energy, she was more than capable of doing what she was about to do.  It started with her sitting on the floor in a meditative pose. It allowed her to channel the energy to her core. And to absorb any ambient mystic energy she might need.  Once she felt she had enough power, she spoke.

“ Gnirb Em Eht Nam Fo Ym Smaerd! ”

As the spell was cast, Zatanna’s hotel room began to feel the effects. The sheets had flown off the bed. The tables and chairs shook. The paintings on the wall and the books she had bought with her began to fly in the air.  Once the spell was complete, Zatanna opened her eyes to see the result.  The only thing that happened was the books falling on the ground.  Nothing else occurred. No man suddenly materialized. No person knocked on her door. Nothing.  “Are you kidding me?!” Groaning, Zatanna decided that she had enough for one day. She grabbed the sheets off the floor, jumped into the bed, and decided to sleep before dealing with any more emotions the next day.  As she slept, she took no notice of one of the books that had fallen on the ground. A black book that had belonged to Felix Faust.  A book that was glowing red.   
The Next Morning…
 Zatanna’s first hint that something was wrong should have been the fact that she woke up at her own time. Not because of something else.  Being both a stage performer and a superhero, Zatanna was used to her phone blowing up from calls and messages from people who needed her help. It was why she could never silence it.  But it didn’t make a single sound the entire time she slept. And it stayed silent even when she woke up.  Lazily getting up from bed, Zatanna didn’t think much about her lack of messages. She was still upset about her failed spell from the night before, so she just considered it a blessing that she wasn’t woken up to fix someone else’s problem.  Of course since he was blocked, she never had to worry about hearing his voice again.  Getting out of bed, Zatanna showered and changed into a set of clothes that felt appropriate for her hours of personal time before she had to show up for practice. A pair of tight jeans, heels, a buttoned shirt with a corset, a typical bowtie, and the gloves she never went anywhere without.

Stepping out of the room, Zatanna figured that she would stop by breakfast for a quick bite before heading to her venue.  She did not yet realize the situation she was in.  Julio’s first hint that something was wrong should have been the fact that his father wasn’t in the room. The reason he didn’t worry about that was because of the time. The clock read 10:23. If he remembered correctly, breakfast stopped being served around noon.  And since both of them loved sleeping and food, Julio figured that his dad had probably gone to get some food and let his son rest. Which he did appreciate. But since Julio also wanted to eat, he would need to shower and head down soon. Which he did as soon as he got out of bed. He also grabbed his brown sketchbook and hid it inside his jacket in case he wanted to draw something later.  As he got ready, Julio failed to notice two things about the clock. One was that it was reading P.M, not A.M.  And two was that, even as Julio left the room, the time didn’t change.

Julio found it strange that no one else was walking through the halls of the hotel, but he chalked it up to people liking to sleep around him. Something he intimately understood.  Once he got out of the elevator to the second floor, Julio became suspicious when he saw that there was no receptionist at the front desk. He didn’t think they could get breaks, let alone at the early hours. So that was confusing.  The confusion got even worse when he got to the breakfast room. There was a buffet of food scattered about over an array of tables. But there were no people here eating the food. Taking a plate and putting some pancakes on it, Julio also didn’t see any cooks in the kitchen.  Confused and now very concerned, Julio put down his plate and took out his phone. He didn’t see that the time was still 10:23.  Julio went to his contacts and immediately tried to dial his father. But instead of getting picked up or even getting a buzzing sound, Julio immediately got sent to messages. Which had never happened before.  “What the hell?”  Zatanna started to feel that something was wrong the moment she got into the elevator.  Because she had grown up in mystic environments and constantly faced mystic threats, Zatanna had a sixth sense for when her environment had been affected by magic. And something felt odd about the air in the hotel. It felt… still.  The only reason Zatanna wasn’t acting on any suspicions was because she was trying to narrow the potential perpetrators. She didn’t think she had any enemies in the city (yet). She couldn’t recall meeting anyone with magic in the city yet. She also couldn’t think of anyone with the skills or motivation to do anything to her.  But when she got out of the elevator, she knew that something was up. There was not a single person around. And for a successful hotel like this to be empty on a morning where breakfast was free did not make sense.  That sort of oddity could only be explained by magic. Something she confirmed with a simple spell. “ Wohs Em Eht Cigam Ni Eht Ria. ” Zatanna’s eyes glowed blue, and she was able to see with certainty the faint traces of magic that permeated every molecule of air. That meant that she was either in a very convincing illusion or some kind of pocket dimension.  The latter was the more likely solution. If it had been an illusion, her spell would have shown its cracks.  “Now to just find a way out. Ekam em a …” Zatanna stopped when she heard the squeaky sound of shoes hitting against the floor. Sneakers probably.  Since she thought she was entirely alone, Zatanna had not expected to run into another person. Or more specifically, to see another person run past her without noticing and bolt directly to the front door.  From what she managed to see, Zatanna put together the image of a young male with brown skin. He looked vaguely familiar, so Zatanna thought he might have an idea of what was happening.  Since she wanted answers, Zatanna followed after him at a slower pace.  Julio’s anxiety was blasting through the roof. He wasn't quite panicking yet, but his heavy breathing and erratic movements meant he was getting there.  He couldn't find his dad. Normally he wouldn’t be too worried about that. But the fact that he also couldn’t find anyone was a concern he couldn’t let go of. The hotel seemed completely empty, and he needed to know if something happened.  It was why he was running to the exit. If everyone had left the hotel, the best way to find them would be to go after them. It didn’t explain why he was left behind, but it was the best idea he could think of.  It was why he ran to the door and shoved it open.  Only to realize that things were even more wrong than he had expected. Or could have ever imagined.  The world stopped at the crosswalks of the hotel.  That wasn’t a saying or an expression. No, that was very literal. The world seemed to literally stop at the point where the hotel began. Julio, walking slowly and cautiously, took a look down from the crosswalk. And he saw the endless abyss below. An infinite void of dark purple that seemed to consume everything that fell inside, from the smallest people to the biggest rock.  To Julio, it looked like this hotel was the only thing in existence. Balancing on a crater in the middle of an endless expanse with no life.  And he had no idea why he was here? “Is this hell?” “No. This is definitely a pocket dimension. Though your guess is as good as mine as to why we’re here.” Turning sharply, Julio was shocked to hear another person. He was even more taken aback when he saw how beautiful she was.  It took a moment, but Julio did recognize the same person from yesterday. The black hair and blue eyes were the same, but the now-loose hair and casual clothes made it clear that wasn’t a simple hotel worker.  In fact, seeing the woman like this made him recognize her from something else. From the billboards he had seen on his way to the city.  “You… You’re Zatanna. You’re the stage magician.” The woman smiled.  “Glad to meet a fan. Though I do wish the circumstances were better.” All of a sudden nervous again, but this time for different reasons, Julio tried to think about what his father would do. He started by taking deeper breaths to calm down and fixing up his hair when Zatanna looked up at the deathly purple sky.  “You said pocket dimension, right? Is this the kind of thing that happens in your work? Pulling realities out of hats.” Zatanna gave a small chuckle.  “Not on weekends. No, I think this is someone else’s doing. No idea why though. Or why they included you.” Julio frowned. “Wait, this actually does happen to you? I was just making a joke, this is… this is normal for you?” “As close to normal as it gets for me,” Zatanna informed him. “Stage magic is my job. Real magic, that’s a family tradition.” In other circumstances, Julio might have had his brain feel fried to learn that magic existed. But since he was stuck in a hotel floating in space while talking to a stunning expert, he felt that his situation called for an open mind.  It also called for him to stop objectifying her, he realized. Since she was clearly more experienced in things like this, he was going to have to defer to her wisdom and judgment. At least at the start until he got a better idea of what was happening. So even though she set new standards for what kind of women he liked by just existing, he had to treat her like what she was.  “So do you know how to get out?” “Oh yeah. A simple wormhole spell should get us right out. Give me a second.” Julio watched as the woman cleared her throat and began to conjure energy. He saw traces of blue light come out of thin air and swirl around her. Since she didn’t panic, he assumed that it was normal.  “ Teg Su Tuo Fo Ehre! ” Julio didn’t think that was an actual language, but he stood back and let her do… Nothing? Looking around, Julio didn’t notice any change in the surrounding area. They were still in the floating hotel, and the sky around them was still purple. When the energy around Zatanna dissipated, she seemed to notice the same thing.  “That usually works.” Not wanting to feel useless, Julio tried to come up with a suggestion.  “You said that someone might have gotten us stuck here. Do you think they might have also done something to keep us in?” Zatanna seemed to consider that. “That’s not unreasonable. I’ve made a few enemies with the League. There’s a chance that someone with a bone to pick with me might have done something. But I can’t do anything about it unless I know for sure.” “Well, I don’t think we can ask anyone outside of here for help. I tried calling my dad earlier. Phones might be useless.” Curious, Zatanna checked her own. And saw the same problem.  “You’re right. We’re gonna have to solve this problem on our own somehow.”  Julio noticed the fact that she said “we”. Which meant that he was going to have to keep being useful.  It also meant that there was a chance for them to keep talking.  “Well, my name is Julio Macia,” he said with an outstretched hand. “Since we’re stuck together, introduction might be in order.” Zatanna took his hand. “Zatanna Zatara. Nice to meet you.” Julio frowned.  “Actually, I think we met yesterday. You came to my room for the book, right?” Zatanna’s eyes widened. But it didn’t seem to only be because of the memory returning. There seemed to be something else.  “Come with me.”  That was unexpected. In truth, Zatanna had forgotten about the person she had gotten the book from once she had put it away. So being stuck with him in this pocket dimension was unexpected.  Still he seemed like a good guy. She was well aware that he was taken by her. She was used to it after meeting so many people that were. But he at least seemed intelligent and well-mannered enough to stop staring and listen to her. It already put him higher on the list of guys she had met.  
*DING*
 Torn out of her thoughts, Zatanna saw Julio’s hand over the bell of the reception desk.  “Just checking. I didn’t expect to find another person in the hotel when I realized it was empty. Making sure someone else isn’t lost.” Zatanna had to admit, there was some logic there. But since no one else showed up, the two headed on their way to Zatanna’s room.  “So.. Are you familiar with the book from yesterday?” “Not necessarily. I’m familiar with the person who owned the book. I just got charged with getting it back.” “Ok. Do you know why it tried possessing me yesterday?” That gave Zatanna pause.  “It what?” “I opened the book because I didn’t know it was magic. It started bleeding and asking me a question I couldn’t answer?” “What did it ask?” “I don’t know the language. It was something like “quid desideras?” Do you know what that means?”  What do you desire? In latin. The book had tried to gain power by taking it from Julio, Zatanna realized with silent concern.  “What did you say?” Zatanna asked, keeping her worries under wraps to make sure Julio didn’t freak out.  “I didn’t say anything. I just kept trying to close the book. Then you showed up and I was able to. Then you took it, and I hoped it would be the end of that.” He didn’t answer?  If Julio didn’t give the book what it wanted, then what role did he play? Based on what Julio described, the book might have clues as to why the two of them were stuck here. But it didn’t explain why it would bring a common teenager. Zatanna made sense. But the only reason for him could possibly be the fact that he had touched the book. But that was flimsy.  Since she wouldn’t find any answers with guesses, the two rode the elevator to her room on the eleventh floor.  “Pretty warm on this floor,” Julio said as he unzipped his jacket. Zatanna noticed the Green Lantern t-shirt, but chose not to comment.  The two stayed silent the whole way, and Zatanna appreciated that he did his best to keep his eyes to himself. And when they did speak, he met her eyes, and not any lower.  Once she unlocked her door, she did notice how Julio took notice of how it looked. And she understood.  Zatanna always used her magic to carry around a veritable library of books, and not just the magical sort. She had never been a fan of tv or movies, always preferring a good novel. And her room was full of them.  But once he got used to the sight of the stacks in every corner, his and her eyes fell on one book in particular.   Zatanna began walking towards it. But she stopped when she felt Julio gently tap her shoulder.  “Are you sure it’s a good idea to just grab it? It did try possessing me yesterday.” Zatanna smiled. Julio’s worries weren’t necessary, but they feel nice. She didn’t often have people show concern for her.  “Don’t worry. I can put some charms on the book to keep it from trying anything.”  True to her word, Zatanna said the words “Retuen TI”, which she said would keep the book sedated. Julio took her word for it.  Once the book was safe, Zatanna opened it up and started to skim it. But she noticed an immediate problem. There were no words in the book. It was blank on every page.  “Blank?” Zatanna looked at Julio, who was shaking his head at the book.  “It did the same thing to me yesterday. Just be careful. I don’t know if it’ll try to pull that same trick on you like it did me.” “It’s alright Julio. This isn't the first magic book I’ve had to deal with. Just needs the right enchantment.”  Zatanna cleared her throat to get ready.  “ Laever Ruoy Lleps! ” The book immediately started to shake in her hands. Its red glow kept fluctuating, like it was trying to fight against her spell. The wind inside the room picked up speed, like the book was trying to distract her. It even made Julio’s jack flap, but he got it under control as soon as it threatened to fly off his shoulders.  Eventually, Zatanna’s spell won out, and she was able to make the book act the way she wanted to.  “Let’s see if you did anything.” The book acted to her wish. Black ink started to form on the page. But instead of printing out words, it began to put together an illustration. One that started hard to make out, being nothing more than black lines. But then the lines created the outline of a room. Then the form of stacks of books.  And finally the shape of a woman in the center. A woman sitting on the floor, casting a spell.  Her eyes widening, Zatanna realized that she was looking at herself last night.  But that didn’t make any sense. Her botched spell had been for a perfect partner, a new man. She never asked to get stuck in a pocket dimension. She didn’t ask to be perpetually trapped in a four-star hotel. And even if she had, why would the spell make it so her only company was… Instinctively looking at Julio, Zatanna quickly turned her attention back to the book.  “ No. No that can’t be it. There’s no way the spell would have… Could it…? ” Julio was the last person to touch the book. That fact could have had some influence.  What was she thinking? It was the only possible answer. There was no way her spell would have trapped the two of them together because it thought they… No. That was a stupid thought. And an illegal one. Not to mention- “Zatanna? Is everything alright?” Julio looked worried. She had been staring at the book so intently, he must be thinking that she discovered a terrible answer.  “It’s a bust,” Zatanna declared as she closed up the book. “The spell that trapped us here didn’t come from here. I need to look for different spells.” “Is there any way I can help?” Normally, Zatanna would be happy for extra help. But given what she had just seen, and the theory behind their entrapment that she wanted to ignore, she didn’t know if him being around was the best choice.  “Why don’t you go and look around the hotel? If we’re lucky, maybe you can find a way for us to go back.” “Are you sure? I know I’m not experienced with any of this magic stuff, but I can try to…” “It’s better if you go.” Zatanna mentally chided herself for coming off so harsh. She was frustrated and concerned about implications, but that didn’t mean she had to take it out on Julio. The guy was roped into this by chance.  And judging from his face, his bluntness did sting. “Is everything ok? Did… Did I do something wrong?” “No. Julio, it’s not you. It’s just….” Zatanna had a hard time getting out the right words.  “Are you ok? I can listen if you want to get anything off your chest.” Zatanna didn’t think it was a good idea. The situation didn’t call for bonding, and she didn’t think she could risk it.  But she had been wanting to vent for some time. And this was her best chance.  “It’s just… I feel like I’m cursed when it comes to romances.” “What do you mean?” “I haven’t had a single one that lasted long or worked out in the end. Every time I’ve gotten a boyfriend, they either fall behind or let me down. My last one cheated on me.” At that, Julio looked shocked and offended.  “What is he, stupid?” Despite herself, Zatanna let out a small laugh at his blunt and insulting response.  “What makes you say that? I mean, yes, he was, but what gave it away?” “The fact that he cheated on you ,” Julio said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “He was dating someone that looked like a goddess and decided to be unfaithful.” Deciding not to let his compliment about her looks go to her head, Zatanna nonetheless agreed.  “Well, the fact that he was in bed with a man who looked like a shark made the sting worse.”  His eyes widening, Julio once again shook his head in disbelief. But he made sure to be sincere when talking to Zatanna.  “Well, look at it this way. Just because you dated one idiot doesn’t mean you won’t ever find love. Plenty of fish in the sea, I think the saying goes." "Yeah, well, I can never seem to find the right kind of fish," Zatanna said as she glumly sat on the bed. "They've all ended badly. They never work out for me." Seeing her upset made Julio want to fix things. But unfortunately, the only way he could think to do that was by tearing himself down to build her up.  “Well, look on the bright side. At least you have options. You actually can get dates.” “Julio, you're still young. It’s perfectly normal for you not to have history.” “Well, it’s not for lack of trying,” Julio admitted. “I’ve never even been lucky enough to find a girl that won’t laugh in my face.” Zatanna was aghast. “That’s so rude. A simple no would work.” “I know. But that was the nicest rejection. The worst one was when this girl laughed in my face. Hard . For a full minute. And all I asked was if she wanted to get some food sometime.” Zatanna would have never been so rude. Every time she rejected someone, it had been a mixture of politeness and to the point. Making sure they got the message while not being destroyed.  Out of sympathy, Zatanna placed a hand on Julio’s shoulder.  “Look, I’m sure you’ll find someone who won’t say no. Or will at least be polite when they do. You’ve got plenty of good qualities Julio. I can see that already.” Smiling, Julio tried to return the favor.  “I’m sure you'll find someone soon too. Hopefully no sharks will get involved in that one.” Zatanna had a good laugh at that one. So did Julio.  Once it was done, he stood up, more rejuvenated than before.  “I’ll take a look like you asked. Hopefully I can find something.” “Good luck.” Once Julio had left, Zatanna began to look through the books she had bought with her. She might not find the exact spell she needed to escape, but she might be able to find something helpful enough for them to come up with something. So while Julio searched outside, she could check her inventory.  But as she skimmed the books, she found one that did not belong.  A plain brown book.  Picking it up, Zatanna quickly realized that it was a sketchbook. One that she quickly realized belonged to Julio. She didn’t own one, and he had just been in here. They were also the only people here, which meant that he must have accidentally dropped it.  But as Zatanna took a quick skim of the pages, she realized that Julio was a talented artist. The way he stylized everything wasn’t to her taste, but she couldn’t deny that it was eye-catching. Even something as simple as a skyline or a bench popped out of the page with the way he colored and distorted. She smiled as she looked through them, enthralled by their energy.  The smile faded as she found a familiar face in the book.  She had only seen him for a minute yesterday. But that one minute seemed to be enough time for him to memorize her face. These drawings were significantly less stylized, taking a more realistic approach to how he drew her. But his use of colors was still present, making her hair look a sharp shade of jet black, her eyes a sticking lightning shade, and her lips an enticing scarlet.  The next four pages also featured her. One had her posing like a CEO, the other sitting and relaxed, the third had her walking, and the fourth seemed to be her falling from the sky with a smile. All of these drawings presented her with a sense of elegance and power, and each of them had the same level of detail paid to her face.  Zatanna was… flattered. She was a public figure, so she was used to people using her likeness. But the way Julio had drawn was surprisingly tasteful. And in her personal opinion, he drew her face better than she maintained it.  But at the same time, this worried her. Not only because she wanted to keep this temporary acquaintance temporary, but also because… it made her like him more.  None of her old boyfriends had done something like this for her. Julio was the first to make her a surprise portrait, and that put him above half of her ex-boyfriends already.  “ I wonder how else he’s better than- ” “No. No.” Shaking those thoughts out of her head, Zatanna spoke a small spell.  “ Nruter Siht Koob. ” The spell would make sure Julio wouldn’t even realize he lost his book. So Zatanna went back to her own books. She had to find the solution to this problem.  Before her resolve wore off.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Over what felt like days, Julio and Zatanna started to get used to the hotel they were stuck in. Nothing here was ideal, but there were things that made their imprisonment tolerable. 
 
For one thing, this hotel seemed to be infinitely and omnipotently storaged. It didn’t matter what Julio or Zatanna needed. The hotel itself seemed to know, and always made sure they had plenty of it. 
 
When Julio wanted to try drawing more things after his sketchbook ran out of room, he found an insane amount of books and art supplies in the closet that had not been there a moment earlier. 
 
When Zatanna needed specific brands for her to shower with, she suddenly found them in every bathroom in every room of the hotel.
 
Oh, and it turned out that every door of the hotel was now unlocked. So they didn't even have to stay in their own rooms to sleep anymore. Which they often did if they felt tired. 
 
But the most useful case of endless replenishing had to be the breakfast area on the second floor. But it didn’t only serve breakfast anymore, instead having buffets of different foods at different times. So whenever Julio or Zatanna wanted a meal, the kitchen would magically restock with anything they would eat. It didn’t cater to their tastes, but it always gave them food worth eating. 
 
But because of these conveniences, neither Zatanna nor Julio felt much need to explore above the eleventh floor of the hotel. As far as Zatanna was concerned, their main mission was finding a way out of the hotel dimension. She was used to being in traps like this, so she was focused on getting out. 
 
Unfortunately, Julio did not have the same level of experience. And because the existence of magic was something he had just learned about, he was also a lot more curious than his older hotelmate. So while Zatanna was happy to stay in her room and try to find a way out of the hotel dimension, Julio found that he couldn’t wait so long. So he started exploring. 
 
At first, he was just looking to see if there was anything worth sketching in the hotel. He saw some paintings on different walls that he put a spin on. He saw some fancier carpets on the higher floors that he used as a base to draw full-page sketches. And when he looked out the windows of those floors, he saw details in the sky that were worth putting on the page. 
 
But drawing could only keep him entertained for so long. A hobby could be repeated so often before it stopped being fun. So Julio had to try and find some other way to keep himself from going insane. 
 
There was interacting with Zatanna, but there were limits to that. For one thing, her being as beautiful as she was made it hard for him to not be nervous around her. Even though the two had shared a nice moment, they weren’t exactly best friends yet. And even though she was nice to be around, Julio knew that she was busy trying to find a way to get them out. She was the expert in magic, and Julio didn’t want to get in her way. 
 
Since Julio wasn’t magical (as far as he could tell), his only contribution could be searching the rest of the hotel. And so far, the search was kind of a bust. He saw some interesting things, but nothing that reacted in unnatural ways. Weird statues were just the results of bad design, old paintings didn’t have any secret codes, and none of the windows were also portals to other dimensions. He opened all of them to figure it out. 
 
Since the hotel itself seemingly wouldn’t supply a way out, Julio figured that he would have to wait for Zatanna to figure out the puzzle. Which left him little to do except explore it for his own reasons. Which was what he was doing right now as he took the stairs to the 19th floor. The elevators worked, but Julio wanted to see if he missed anything. 
 
And besides, walking up the stairs made for good exercise. Helped keep his mind intact. 
 
Stepping off marble and onto carpet, Julio started reading the floors directory. He could see that this floor had a gym, which he might relent and check out later. There was also a resting room for cleaning staff, which might have something. And apparently, this floor also had a public pool. 
 
Why the pool was on one of the higher floors, Julio had no idea. But he wasn’t about to spend all day questioning it. Instead, he followed the arrows on the directory and walked to where the pool was located. 
 
Once he got to the pool, he was disappointed but not shocked to see that the water was as normal as could be. It was cleaner than other public pools he had been to, but that was the only thing noteworthy about it. The rest of the room was much the same, with lounge chairs, extra towels, and even a drink bar being available. 
 
Walking to the bar and taking a soda from the unlocked fridge, Julio looked around to see if he had missed anything from the pool. He grabbed one of the towels and threw it in, but the result was natural and unexciting. It just floated in the water like it normally would. 
 
Opening his can and taking a sip, Julio sat down on one of the lounge chairs and let his mind wonder for a bit. 
 
“

Is dad worried about me? Has he even noticed I’m gone?

”
 
Even Zatanna didn’t know the answer to that. When he had asked, all she could say was that without a connection to the real world, they had no way of knowing how things were going there. Either no time was passing at all from their standpoint, or the two of them could have already been in here for years without knowing it.
 
Without escaping, they couldn’t know for sure. 
 
It was something that did worry Julio. He loved his dad, and he didn’t like making the man worry. He really hoped that Zatanna’s idea about time being frozen back home was accurate. Otherwise the reunion might not be a happy one. 
 
But because those sorts of thoughts led to existentialism and dread, Julio tried his best not to focus on them. Instead, since he was already at the pool, he tried to think if there was a good enough excuse for him to use it. 
 
“

It’s not like anyone could stop me or bother me. And maybe if I invited Zatanna, I could see her in…

”
 
Shaking his head to keep the image of Zatanna in a bikini from overcoming his thoughts, Julio gulped down his soda, threw the can away, got up, and looked one last time for anything noteworthy. 
 
The only thing he had yet to check was the emergency exit. So Julio walked over to it to see if anything was strange. 
 
He did find one strange thing. But not what he had expected. 
 
He was sure this was the emergency exit. It was at a side of the pool most wouldn’t go to, and it had red tape covering its sides. It certainly seemed like a door meant for a quick escape. 
 
But the writing on the door didn’t match its purpose. Especially since it wasn’t even written in English. Instead, it was written in a language that Julio now knew was Latin.

Dic Destination

It was asking Julio what his destination was. A quick phone search let him figure that out. Unfortunately, it did not give him any insight into how he should respond. 
 
Should he even respond? The fact that the door had latin written on it meant that it probably had some sort of magic going on. So getting involved with it without Zatanna around to keep things from going awry might not be a great idea. At the same time, Julio didn’t know if going to her for every potential problem was a good idea either. 
 
“

She’d probably think I’m too dependent. Can’t make any decisions for myself.

”
 
Not wanting to come across as an incompetent child is what made the choice clear. He would check out the door and see if there was any danger. If there wasn’t, he would still let Zatanna know. If there was…
 
Well, maybe she would say something nice at his funeral. 
 
Checking the translator on his phone, Julio spoke. 
 
“Recipe me domum.”
  
Sitting alone in her room, Zatanna tried to find the right spell in the 37th book she had opened. And just now, she found one that seemed promising. 
 
“Let’s see”
 
It started by asking for a cauldron, which Zatanna easily supplied by transmuting her carpet with a spell. The next ingredients were lizard spit, eel skin, ferret fur, and a bat’s tongue. She got all of those by ripping apart the channel guide for the room’s TV and changing the composition of those pieces. Once they were mixed inside, she filled the cauldron with sink water, turned that water into aether, and started the spell. 
 
She had to let it rest for a few minutes before she could perform the spell. But once she could, she let out the words. 
 
“

Etaerc a Latrop!

”
 
Everything inside the cauldron started to boil. The steam from the heat rose and began to form a cloud in the center of the room. In normal circumstances, this cloud would continue to turn and form into a gateway that people could jump through to get to any other point instantly. That was what Zatanna was hoping would happen here. 
 
Instead, the cloud stayed formed for a few moments, then it instantly dissipated. The cauldron itself cooled off before Zatanna could even register that the spell wouldn’t work. Once she did, all she could do was groan before falling back on the bed. 
 
“Just one spell. Why won’t any of them work?”
 
She had already gone through a dozen similar attempts. Each time she found a spell or incantation related to travel (interdimensional or otherwise), they would fizzle out before completion. No matter how much power she put into the spell, nothing would work. 
 
For the first time in a long time, Zatanna was beginning to feel helpless about something that wasn't her love life. She could only cast spells that didn’t involve the need to escape, and none of that was helpful. So for the time being she was stuck alone in a hotel in a pocket dimension. 
 
Well, she wasn’t completely alone. But that was a different problem on its own. 
 
There was a reason she kept asking Julio to go out and try to find a new way out of the hotel. It wasn’t just that she couldn’t do two things at once (not without exhausting herself). It also helped her keep in control of her impulses. 
 
Julio was just… he was too damm cute. 
 
He was attentive, he was helpful, he had a sense of humor, and it was kind of adorable how he thought she didn’t notice that he liked her. The issue was that the feeling was mutual. And it couldn’t stay professional for much longer. 
 
Zatanna knew that the thoughts she was having were not the ideas a woman her age should be having. She was almost in her thirties, she wasn’t a high school girl anymore. 
 
This was a problem that could be easily solved by returning to civilization. Society had laws and regulations against this sort of thing, and they would make it so much easier for her to ignore the treacherous, sometimes disturbing thoughts her mind kept feeding her. 
 
“

No one has to know when we go back.

” 
 
“

None of the rules in this dimension apply to us.

”
 
“

I have plenty of spells to make him compliant.

”
 
At the last thought, Zatanna got out of the bed and washed her face at the bathroom sink. She needed to find a way to get herself under control. Soon. Otherwise she might…
 
Her determination was interrupted with a knock at her door. Already knowing who it was, Zatanna opened the door to ask Julio if he found anything. But when she saw him breathing heavily, she figured that he had. 
 
“You’re going to want to see this.”
  
Zatanna wasn’t much of a swimmer. She enjoyed a good pool in the heat as much as the next person, but it wasn’t something she actively sought out doing. But if Julio’s story was accurate, being here was important. 
 
“That’s the door right there. Let me show you.”
 
Julio led her to an emergency exit that wasn’t written in English. And Julio responded in a language that wasn’t either. 
 
“

Recipe me domum.

”
 
Since she knew Italian, Zatanna was able to tell that Julio said “take me home.” A sentence that gave her some hope. 
 
But that hope fizzled when he opened the door and showed a house in a desert town. A single house with no neighbors and nothing in its surroundings. 
 
“I thought it was a way out too. But it only showed me the house my dad and I live in in Arizona. Nothing that surrounds it. Nothing exists around it.”
 
He was right. Zatanna poked her head through the door and looked around. All she saw was an endless white void surrounding the house, illustrating quite clearly that this door did not lead back home the way they hoped. 
 
“I’m going to look inside.”
 
“Why?” 
 
“I want to see how well this place captured my home. See if it has that Macia charm.”
 
Before Zatanna could dissuade him, Julio had already stepped through the door. And he had also dropped one of the pool’s towels at the edge of the door. 
 
“In case it closes. Don’t want to get trapped here.”
 
Julio had already crossed the false street and was standing on the porch by the time Zatanna had made up her mind to join him. Once she made it to where he was, he opened the door to the house. 
 
In a word, Zatanna could describe this approximation of Julio’s home as cozy. The hard tile floors were clean, the furniture was warm-colored, and the carpet for the living room and kitchen had a soft and nostalgic beige coloring. It reminded Zatanna of the time her father had taken her to his childhood home in Rome. 
 
“This place is almost an exact match.”
 
Zatanna blinked. 
 
“Almost? What’s missing?”
 
“Take a look around. A house like this, you’d expect memories, wouldn’t you?”
 
Taking another look around, Zatanna realized that Julio was right. This palace looked like a home, but there were no signs of life. There were no pictures hung on the walls. The couch was too perfectly cushioned to have ever had anyone sit on it. And the kitchen didn’t have any appliances that would be necessary for cooking. Opening the fridge revealed that even that was empty. 
 
Zatanna saw Julio open a door inside the kitchen and look down. 
 
“There’s no old family junk in the basement,” Julio said with disappointment filling his voice.  “So is that fire exit just a… tease? A way to torture us by showing us what we can’t have?” 
 
“I don’t think it’s anything that malicious. At least not intentionally,” Zatanna pondered. “I don’t know the specifics of this dimension. If I had to guess, I’d say we’re in the pocket inside the pocket.”
 
Julio frowned as he tried to make sense of that. 
 
“So…. like a closet? A space within a house that we can just… go into?”
 
“That’s not a bad way to think about it. I think this exit is meant to just give us a taste of the outside world. Might be so we can keep our memories of it sharp.”
 
With that possible explanation agreed upon, both Julio and Zatanna decided they didn’t want to spend too long there. It was creepy enough for Julio to see the Twilight Zone version of his house, he didn’t want to get too used to it.
 
But once they get back to the other side of the exit, instead of closing the door, Julio stopped to think. 
 
“Hey Zatanna?”
 
“Yes?”
 
“This door can make a copy of… any place?”
 
“I think so. Though you may need to speak it in Latin for it to work. Why?”
 
Julio smiled. 
 
“Hungry?”
 
Before Zatanna could answer, Julio had already taken out his phone and pulled up a translation. 
 
“

Accipe me ad bistro.

”
 
There were lights that suddenly shined behind the glass of the emergency door. And when Julio opened it again, there was no street. There was no walkway. There was only the inside of a sports bar restaurant with a relaxing design. 
 
Zatanna had never gone to many of these before. She had a bad habit of either ordering food for herself or using magic to prepare her meals. And since her last relationship ended… the way it did, she hadn’t felt much desire to eat with other people. 
 
“I don’t know Julio. I’m still trying to find a spell that will get us out. I don’t think a distraction will do us any good.”
 
Zatanna saw the gears turning in Julio’s head. She was going to keep arguing against the idea, but he spoke first. 
 
“Well, maybe a distraction is exactly what you need. It helps avoid burnout, doesn’t it? Maybe taking a small break will help you think of something.”
 
The logic was sound. And her own father had told her that making sure to rest was an essential part of magic. If she exhausted herself, her spells might not come out properly. 
 
But she still wasn’t thoroughly convinced. 
 
“I don’t know Julio. This seems like something that could just keep us complacent.”
 
His mouth turned downward in disappointment. But that didn’t mean he was willing to give up. 
 
“We already know how to get out and back. Plus you have enough magic to get us out. I don’t think a change in setting would hurt,” Julio argued. Zatanna was still uncertain, but his next statement cut through. 
 
“And besides, I… wouldn’t mind spending more time with you. We could just talk there. Get to know each other.”
 
At that point, Zatanna should have said no and gone back to her room. She should have just sent Julio to find something else, and found a way to free them both. Maybe give him a ticket to her next show as a courtesy, but not indulge this. 
 
But she wanted to indulge in this. It had been, in her opinion, too long since she had just sat down and relaxed with someone. Too long since she just shared the company of someone she enjoyed being with. 
 
So despite her rational mind disagreeing and the constant reminder of his age, Zatanna relented. 
 
“Alright then. What do they have here?”
 
“Hopefully the same kind of food as when me and my dad came. Let’s take a look inside.”
 
Leaving another towel to keep the door open, the two of them found a nice booth to sit down at. One that suddenly had menus. 
 
“Since you’re the expert on stuff like this, I might as well ask. Do you think the food will just appear when we want it, or do I have to look up how to say Italian beef in latin?”
 
Zatanna chuckled. “It could go either way. Let’s see what we have to work with.”
 
Zatanna opened up her menu. She already knew she was getting a lemonade, but she did wonder what kind of salads this place would have in the real world. She saw the chicken pasta option, and she hoped that this dimension had a good-tasting approximation. 
 
She got her answer immediately when she put down the menu. Her drink and meal were already on the table for her. Across from herself, she could see Julio already had his food: a pop, a sandwich, and some fries that she might ask for in a bit. 
 
The two of them ate in silence for a bit, the food being much better than either of them had expected. Zatanna was really enjoying her salad. But she was also morbidly fascinated in the way that Julio seemed to inhale all of the food in the front of him. She wasn’t sure if she had even seen him chew yet. But since he had already torn though his sandwich, Zatanna didn’t want to miss her chance for fries. 
 
“Is it ok if I have some?”
 
“Oh, sure. You can have as many as you want.”
 
Zatanna took a handful of fries and mixed it with her salad. She had to admit, it tasted a whole lot better than she thought it would, and she would be getting more food like this in the future. 
 
But now that the food was out of the way, the two of them had to find other things to do with their mouths. For now, conversation would be enough. 
 
“You said this wasn’t your first time getting stuck in a parallel world, right?”
 
“Not even close, why?”
 
“What was your first one like? Was it as bad as this or…?”
 
“Worse, actually,” Zatanna admitted. “I ended up getting stuck in a version of Victorian London that still had a ripper problem.”
 
Even though he had gotten used to the magical stuff in the hotel, hearing stuff like that still made Julio’s eyes widen. And Zatanna wished it didn’t make him look so cute. 
 
“Jack the Ripper? Is that the craziest one, or…?”
 
Zatanna shook her head. 
 
“We’d be here all day if I tried to tell you every crazy interdimensional story I have.”
 
Julio took a short look around the empty bistro connected to the hotel that was lost in space and time. 
 
“I think we’re good. I’d like to learn more about you. If that’s ok.”
 
Zatanna didn’t see a problem with that. She was alone with Julio, and just talking about life with him wouldn’t be crossing any boundaries. ANd maybe she could about him as well. 
 
So that was what she did. She told him about how her father trained her, how she learned to navigate different dimensions though adaptability, how her magic made her worthy of joining the Justice League, and how she managed to craft a stage persona that she maintained in tandem with her heroic endeavors. 
 
“So you learned magic from your father? Is it a family thing?”
 
“Yeah. Even my mother had magic abilities. But I never got to meet her, so my dad made sure I learned.”
 
At the mention of her mother, Zatanna saw the way Julio’s pupils shrunk. 
 
“I guess we have that in common. My mom’s been gone since I was little, so it’s just been me and my dad for as long as I can remember.”
 
Hearing that made Zatanna’s control slip for a moment. Her hand slid over to cover Julio’s in a comforting gesture. 
 
“I’m sorry.”
 
Coughing, seemingly to hide his newfound nervousness, Julio tried to play it down. 
 
“It’s fine. I’ve gotten used to it. Like I said, I barely remember her.”
 
“That doesn’t mean it doesn't hurt,” Zatanna said, speaking from experience. She pulled away her hand, hoping that the wrong messages weren’t being sent. 
 
Thankfully, Julio seemed eager to change the subject to something less personal. 
 
“So, all this magic stuff? Any chance I could learn it?” Julio said. “I mean, I’m pretty involved with it now. Couldn’t hurt, right?”
 
Zatanna was about to say no, in a nice way. But then she stopped to think about it. She had thought it to herself yesterday, that the book of Felix Faust would have had no response to Julio if he didn’t have any magical potential. 
 
But it did respond to him. He didn’t give the book what it wanted, but it had reacted to him. And then there was all the stuff with the Latin language, and how it seemed to make things change around Julio. 
 
“There… might actually be a chance.”
 
Julio’s eyes widened. 
 
“Wait, really? I was just trying to change the subject. You think I could actually learn magic?”
 
“I can’t make promises, but there’s a chance you might have latent potential. I don’t know if I can teach you though.”
 
“Why not?”
 
“I still need to find a way to escape. I don’t know if I could balance both things.”
 
Julio took a moment to think. She could see the gears in his head turning. 
 
“What if you did both?” He suggested. “You can keep trying to find a spell to free us, and I can help you with that. You could show me how all of this works at the same time. Two birds and one stone and all that.”
 
It wasn’t a bad idea. It actually had plenty of merits. Not the least of which was the fact that a new magic user in the world could be a force for good. Especially if trained by her. 
 
But there was the problem of her… conflicting emotions. 
 
No matter how many times Zatanna told herself to be rational and to keep her desires in check, her body seemed to not want to listen. Especially when Julio gave her the adorable impish smile he had on his face. 
 
Unfortunately, Zatanna didn’t have a good excuse for why she couldn’t teach Julio. At least not one that she could say out loud without making things awkward. So she only had one answer she could give. 
 
“Alright. Let’s go and see what we’re working with.”
  
Julio's first lesson started as soon as they left the bistro at the pool. Rather than go back to her room, Zatanna said it would be better if they went to the gym. Specifically to the yoga room. When he asked her why, she told him that they needed to be someone relaxing so they could bring out his energies. 
 
He didn’t totally understand it, but he trusted her judgment.
 
Once the two of them were in the yoga room, Julio took a seat on a mat adjacent to Zatanna.  And once they were both situated, Zatanna felt it was a good time to start the lesson. 
 
“We’re going to start with something very simple. Something that will let me know how to start instructing you.”
 
“Ok. What’s that?”
 
“Breathing?”
 
That was not the answer Julio was expecting. His face must have shown it, because Zatanna immediately clarified. 
 
“Breathing exercises help reduce stress, blood pressure, things like that. For people able to access magic, it also makes it easier to access the endless pools of mystic energy that exist all around us. Think of your body like a river. The more relaxed you are, the better the water can flow. Magic works in a similar way.”
 
Julio nodded. “So when I let it flow, it’ll let you know how much I can access? Am I close?”
 
“Right on the head actually. So we’re going to start simple. Take in a really deep breath. Like this.”
 
Copying Zatanna, Julio took in a massive amount of air into his lungs. He kept it in, feeling the oxygen burning his chest 
 
“Now let it out. Slowly. With your eyes closed.”
 
He did as she asked. He shut his lids, and let the air go out of his slowly opening mouth. As he did so, he felt tension leave his body while relaxation hit his muscles. It was a feeling he enjoyed, as if stress was evaporating from his being. And while he did that, Zatanna eyed him in examination. 
 
Zatanna was surprised at the energy she was feeling coming off from Julio because of his lack of experience and connection to the magical world, she expected an average if not smaller amount of mystic energy to be bubbling inside his core. 
 
Instead, she got above average. 
 
He didn’t have any level of catastrophic power, no. He wasn’t a messiah. But he did have a potential in magic that she had not expected. One that, if adapted and trained properly, could be turned into a powerful force. He could possibly contend with her and… someone that would not be named.
 
“Did you get what you need?”
 
Ending her evaluation, Zatanna nodded. 
 
“Yup. I got a look at your energy. And I think we have something good to work with.”
 
“Really? So what do we do now?”
 
Zatanna had to take a moment to think. She had only agreed to teach him less than half an hour ago. She still had to set up a lesson and plans. 
 
But there was one thing she could do now. A simple thing her father taught her when she was a child. 
 
“I’m going to teach you a very simple spell. One that we all learn as beginners.”
 
“Ok. What is it?”
 
“Levitating.”
 
She saw Julio’s eyes widen. And she smiled. 
 
“It’s nothing too complicated. All you need to do is ask gravity to lessen its hold on you.”
 
“Do I have to say please?”
 
Zatanna had already released a giggle before she could stop herself. But she immediately went back to teaching. 
 
“It could help. But for verbal magic users, using a word with the same meaning as your goal.”
 
“Yours is backwards, right? So it would…. Etativale?”
 
“Etativel,” Zatanna corrected. “For you, I think the language that unlocks magic for you is Latin. But you should know that language is not the important component.”
 
“It’s not?”
 
“No. The thing that truly matters is the amount of energy and power you put into a spell. Speaking backwards just helps me focus my mind on my goal. Latin might do the same for you.”
 
Julio nodded as he listened to her explanation. But how much he understood would have to be seen. 
 
“Let’s give it a shot real quick. Look up the Latin word for levitation and let's see if you can do it.”
 
Taking her advice, Julio checked his phone and quickly learned the word. Once he had it memorized, he put away his phone, closed his eyes, and let it out. 
 
“

Levitate

.”
 
At first, nothing happened. At first Zatanna wondered if he got the word wrong, but then she remembered that the word originated in Latin. Then she wondered if he had made sure to channel the energies correctly. 
 
But then she felt the gust of wind. 
 
It was slow, but she saw Julio’s legs begin to leave the ground. It wasn’t obvious at first, but it was unmistakable once he was an inch off the matt. At that point, it became clear to Zatanna that Julio’s reaction to the book was a momentary fluke. 
 
He had a potential for magic. And he was already off to a good start. 
 
Unfortunately, talent without training was nothing. And once Julio opened his eyes and saw that he was off the ground, the need for extra lessons made itself evident. 
 
“Um, how do I get back down?”
 
The student was still, but it was obviously more because of his nerves tensing his muscles than him actually staying calm. She could see all over his face that he was a moment away from panicking. 
 
“Don’t worry. I got you.”
 
Zatanna stood up, grabbed Julio’s foot before he could float too far away, and spoke the necessary words. 
 
“

Pots Eht Lleps.

”
 
His levitation no longer active, Julio fell out of the air. He landed on his feet, and it was mainly thanks to Zatanna helping him keep his balance. 
 
But what Zatanna hadn’t accounted for was the position it would leave them both in. 
 
When Julio’s feet landed back on the ground, Zatanna hadn’t realized how close she had put him to her. So when Julio lifted his head and stood at his full height, his nose touched against Zatanna’s.
 
She knew he was shorter than her, but he was only an inch or two shorter.  Their eyes were still fairly level with each other. And it allowed her to stare into the deep warm shades of brown he had. Likewise, he seemed lost in her cool blue spheres. 
 
The two of them were stuck staring at each longer than either cared to count. Their breaths came in and out in synch, their hands were on each other’s arms, and they could feel the heat coming off of one another. 
 
This may have gone on for longer if Zatanna hadn’t suddenly realized what was going on. 
 
Pushing julio back, she cleared her throat. 
 
“Do you know where any water is?”
 
It took Julio a moment to respond. He was probably just as shaken as she was. Maybe more. 
 
“Um, yeah. The pool has a spot for drinks.”
 
“‘Can you bring some? Cold, please.”
 
“Sure. I’m on it.”
 
As soon as Julio left the yoga room, Zatanna let out a heavy breath. 
 
“Too close. Too damm close.”
 
If she had stared into his eyes a second longer, she might have… she may have…
 
Zatanna didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to think about the way Julio stared at her lips. The way she felt his smooth skin under her gloved hands. The way their breath collided together with their lips separated only by inches….
 
Her face getting hotter, Zatanna could no longer deny that she had a problem. She was feeling increasingly attracted to a guy young enough to be her nephew, a full decade younger. She was thinking about him in ways she should be. She…
 
She didn’t feel bad about it. 
 
It was that realization that forced Zatanna to sit on her mat and hug her knees. Groaning at the fact that this was happening and she wasn’t feeling guilty, Zatanna could only think about what her father would think. Disapproval would be the best reaction from him. Not to mention the judgment she would get from her colleagues and the rest of the hero community. 
 
The worst part was, she couldn’t get away from this. She was stuck with Julio while the two of them were trapped in this hotel dimension. She was all he had had, and he was all she had for company. So anything they did together…
 
No one else would ever have to know. 
 
This was something Zatanna had considered before. But only now had the possibilities begun to sink into her. 
 
She could do

anything

with Julio. Since she was teaching him magic now, she could make his silence be the payment for the lessons. She could show a grand time that he would always remember. 
 
And in turn, she’d prove that she could get over Constantine and his drunk, fish-loving ass. She already had someone who was better than him

and

interested in her. 
 
She just had to get him ready. 
 
Ready to do things she hadn't done in so long. Lessons that, if she was correct in her assumptions, no one else had given him. 
 
But for these lessons, a certain type of dress code was needed. 
 
“

Egnahc Ym Tiftuo.

”
  
Julio had managed to calm himself down by the time he got to the refrigerator at the poolside. His pants no longer felt as painfully tight as they had been when he got… close.
 
He could only think whatever gods might exist that Zatanna hadn't noticed (hopefully). The situation had already been awkward enough. He didn’t need an accidental boner making things even worse. 
 
Unfortunately, it was unlikely his body could have reacted any other way to the sudden loss of distance between them. One second he was nervous because he might hit the ceiling, the next he was freaking out internally because Zatanna’s lips were so close to his and her eyes were looking straight into his own. Blue had never been his favorite color, but it got so much closer to the top in that moment. 
 
Putting his icy water against his head to cool himself down, Julio mentally determined that he had to do better. If something like this happened again, he needed to apologize immediately without freezing. Better yet, he had to try and avoid having incidents like this repeat at all. He had to remember that Zatanna was an older woman, and she deserved respect. Not to be treated like an object. 
 
Even if she was incredibly sexy, beautiful, funny, charming, helpful, and…
 
“Get a grip.”
 
Two cold waters in hand, Julio walked back to the exercise room. When he opened the door, he had intended to immediately hand the water to Zatanna and apologize for making things weird. 
 
Unfortunately, his words died and his throat croaked when he saw. 
 
Specifically, when he saw what she was wearing. 
 
When he left, she had been wearing jeans and a dress shirt with her typical bowtie. Now though, she was dressed like a woman doing yoga. Tight black leggings and a black tank top that showed off every curve of her body. 
 
The fact that she was actually

doing

yoga right now made it obvious just how tightly the thin outfit was hugging her form. They showed how long her legs, how full her thighs were. And because the position she was in had her with her back to Julio, the leggings showed him just how large and round her ass was. 
 
Zatanna turned her head back, so Julio did his absolute hardest to try and keep his desires suppressed. The heat he felt from looking at her was not helping. 
 
“Hey Julio. Did you get the water?”
 
All he could do was nod. His ability to speak was damaged further when Zatanna turned her entire body around, showing that her top was just as tight as her leggings. So not only was the narrowness of her waist on display, but so was the size and bounce of her breasts. They weren’t the biggest in the world, but their size went perfectly with the rest of her body, and her nipples seemed to constantly tease a peek through the edges of fabric. 
 
This was bad, and Julio didn’t know why she was doing this. But he had already decided not to push things too far with her, so he had to make sure he kept his promise. So when Zatanna took her water and started gulping (why did she look so hot just drinking water?!), Julio quickly looked up a word and whispered it. 
 
“

Supprimere

.”
 
Julio felt the blood flow to his nether regions stop, as the word he spoke made it that he wouldn’t get an erection. It didn’t mean he wasn’t feeling the necessary emotions for it. He just wouldn’t physically show it. 
 
He had no idea how long it would work, but he hoped it would be enough. 
 
“How about I show you some yoga poses? It helps keep the body relaxed, and it makes it easier to let magic flow and act.”
 
“Sounds good to me.”
 
“Perfect. Let me show you some poses.”
 
Julio quickly realized his mistake. Zatanna had to get very close to show him the different poses correctly. It meant having her hands on different parts of his body. Never anything risky, but that didn’t mean Julio didn’t feel a reaction. 
 
He had no idea how long he would last like this. 
  
The days that came in the hotel saw Zatanna letting her control slip more and more with the slow passage of time. As she feared, spending more time with Julio, both as a teacher and companion, made it much harder for her to keep the relationship professional. 
 
But she found it harder and harder to care. 
 
Not only was it becoming clear that Julio wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer, but she had long since crossed her line mentally. She was now more than willing to go further. She just wanted Julio to be there with her. 
 
She was willing to do one dubious thing. She didn’t want to taint that further by doing it without consent. But Julio, sweet and polite as he was, did not seem to be getting the hints that she was sending. Either that or he was fighting against his urges. Which, on the one hand, was admirable and made him better than the guys that leered at her at her shows. 
 
On the other, it made it frustrating that Zatanna was offering herself like this and not being reciprocated. 
 
But perhaps she was being too subtle about it. She had been giving him hints and clues, but he was either ignoring them or acting against them. He didn’t realize that she wanted him to act on them. 
 
So it might be time for her to make things obvious. 
 
And she had an idea of how to get the message across. 
  
“Is she torturing me? Is that what’s going on?”
 
Sitting in the bed of the room that Julio previously shared with his father, the young man was left to ponder what was going on with Zatanna. Ever since she had agreed to teach him magic, she had done just that. And also seemed determined to test the limits of Julio’s willpower. 
 
The thing was, Julio had no idea whether or not he was recognizing these signs properly, and he did not want to risk being wrong. She could have been flirting with him, and he would love it if she was. But if he was wrong and she was being helpful to him and comfortable for herself, then being wrong could make being stuck with her unbearably tense. 
 
And he enjoyed her company, so he didn’t want to chance being wrong about her intentions. So it was better for him to be alone in his room, sketching some art as he passively watched an old movie on the TV. 
 
Truthfully, he wasn’t even watching it. There was a woman in black-and-white wearing a dark dress in the movie, and Julio was sketching it. Specifically, he was sketching a certain blue-eyed woman he knew wearing a very similar dress. 
 
His phone vibrated, which took Julio out of his thoughts. He put his pen and paper away to answer the phone. He had a text from the only person who could text him. 
 
“

Hungry? I know a good restaurant we could go through the pool to.

”
 
Julio hadn’t eaten in a while, so the idea sounded pretty good to him. He answered back, saying he was down. He got a response back fairly quickly. One that had photos attached. 
 
“

Great. It’s a fancier spot. So maybe we can dress up.

”
 
Julio nearly choked when he saw the attached images. It was Zatanna wearing a series of dresses. Some were long and shapely, some were shorter and tighter. Most were black, but each of them showed off her assets in different ways. Some had plenty of cleavage, some had slits to show off her legs, and the pictures in which she turned around displayed just how nice of a rear she had. 
 
But why would she send him these pictures? She may have wanted an opinion, but why would she be posing so provocatively? Did she…?
 
Oh.

Oh

.
 
Now, a small part of Julio’s mind felt like he might be misinterpreting, but it was no longer dominant. The rest of his mind was concerned with looking through the pictures and trying to pick a favorite.
 
“I like the black gown. I think it suits you,” Julio said aloud as he typed to her. Instead of a response back, Zatanna gave the message a heart. 
 
“Oh my god I think she’s into me.”
 
As much as the idea excited Julio, it also made him incredibly nervous. Zatanna, one of the most beautiful, funny, delightful, and powerful women he had ever met… was into him. A guy who drew sometimes and barely started learning magic from her. In all honesty, it didn’t make any sense to him why she would like him like that. 
 
But he also wasn’t going to deny a miracle when it involved him. 
 
So instead of pondering it any further, Julio jumped out of the bed, leaving the open sketchbook on the bed. He jumped to the luggage, seeing if there was anything more high class he could wear. Since he had come on this vacation only for fun, he hadn't bought a suit. 
 
No matter. It just gave him a chance to practice what Zatanna had been teaching him. He stood in front of the bathroom mirror, and he recited his practiced Latin. 
 
“

Exhiberet Me.

”
 
It meant “dress me up.” And it morphed Julio’s plain t-shirt and jeans into a suit you might see on Hollywood actors. It was all black, shirt, pants and everything. The only other color was the red tie that felt snug around Julio’s neck. 
 
His clothes looking good, Julio decided to work on everything else. He washed his face and started fixing up his hair when he heard someone knock at the door. 
 
“It’s open. I’ll be out in a minute.”
 
Closing the bathroom door for privacy, Julio heard someone come in as he finished gelling his hair. There was the clicking of heels on the floor, so he knew who it was. And once he was done, he went out to greet her. 
 
“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting. I just had to… fix up.”
 
Julio’s thought process was (as usual when it came to Zatanna) derailed when he saw how she was dressed. 
 
“How do I look?” Zatanna asked with a flaunt of her hips. And Julio wondered how she could feel like anything less than gorgeous. Especially with her outfit. 
 
The black dress was even more alluring in person than in a photo. The gown had a single strap, and there was a slit that revealed her long left leg up until her thigh, and the dress also showed off a tasteful amount of cleavage. It was also tight enough to accent every curve of her body, making her hips and waist stand out even more than Julio thought possible.
 
“I think you might be making goddesses jealous right now,” Julio said thoughtlessly and honestly. And based on how wide Zatanna’s smile got, he guessed it was a good answer. 
 
“Thank you. You didn’t clean up too bad yourself.”
 
“Oh. Thank you,” Julio said as he forced himself to focus on the present. Just because Zatanna (possibly) liked him, it didn’t mean he had to suddenly become a brain dense moron. He still had to impress her if this could go further. 
 
So he held out his arm for her like a gentleman would. 
 
“Shall we go? You can lead the way.”
 
Her smile not wavering, Zatanna wrapped her arm around his and led him out of the room. 
 
They had a dinner date to reach.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

When Zatanna and Julio got to the pool area, they immediately walked through the fire exit. Since Zatanna walked first, they ended up at her destination. That being one of the best restaurants she had ever been to. 
 
It reminded him of the sort of place you would see in movies. The walls were decorated in silver and gold, the carpet felt soft even through shoes, and the marble statues and walls looked like they were cleaned every second. Not to mention the fine quality of every table, booth, and the stage in the far right corner 
 
And right now, Julio and Zatanna had the run of the place. 
 
“Do you like booths or tables? I can handle either.”
 
Zatanna thought for a moment. 
 
“A booth will be nice.”
 
“Great. There’s one right here.”
 
The two of them took a booth near the stage. When Zatanna asked him why he chose this one, Julio could let out a smile. 
 
“I’ve been practicing what you’ve been showing me. Watch.”
 
There were instruments on the stage with no musicians. But that wouldn’t be a problem after Julio looked up the right translation. 
 
“

Ludere Bonum Carmen.

”
 
In that instant, all the instruments began to play themselves. A floating bow played the strings of a violin, manipulated airways blew into horns, the keys of a piano had force pressed against them, and all of it came together to form a pleasant jazz instrumental. And that made for good background music. 
 
“Not bad,” Zatanna admitted, impressed that Julio was able to pull off such an intricate spell with only a few days of training. 
 
“Hey, I aim to please,” Julio said with a shrug. He didn’t realize the deeper meaning behind Zatanna’s smile. 
 
Once the two knew what they wanted, the food materialized in front of them. The two ate with the jazz accompaniment. It was a pleasant silence. But once they were full, Zatanna still had a different hunger she wanted to feed. 
 
“Have you thought about what you would do once we get out of here Julio?”
 
Having just finished his meal, Julio was able to put some thought into the question. 
 
“I guess most things would return to normal, aside from me knowing some magic now. I’d go back home with my dad, I’d go to school, I’d-”
 
“Get a girlfriend?”
 
Julio blushed slightly and scratched the back of his head.
 
“Might be aiming a little too high. Even with magic, I don’t know if my chances are that good.”
 
Zatanna frowned. 
 
“What makes you say that?”
 
“I’ve never been lucky before. Last girl I tried to ask out just laughed at me. I don’t-”
 
“Julio.”
 
Zatanna caught Julio off guard by taking hold of his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. It was a very warm and kind gesture, one that Julio was not prepared for. 
 
“After all this time, I can say one thing with certainty Julio. That girl, the one who rejected you? She wasn’t worth

your

time. You can do better.”
 
His lack of confidence overtaking him, Julio chuckled awkwardly and shook his head. 
 
“I appreciate that, really. But I don’t-”
 
“Julio, you’re funny, you’re smart, and you’re really cute. And trust me, I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t believe it.”
 
Julio could feel the heat in his cheeks from Zatanna’s compliments. Not wanting to look embarrassed in front of her, he tried to play it off. 
 
“Zatanna, I-”
 
Without warning, Zatanna gripped Julio’s wrist and pulled him forward. His face was now only an inch away from hers. 
 
“Do something for me Julio.”
 
“Yeah?”
 
“Call me Zee.”
 
Before Julio could even respond to that, Zatanna already had her hand behind his head. And the moment after that, her lips were pressed against his. 
 
Even in a place as chronologically funky as this, time seemed to stop. Moments took eternity to pass while eternity passed in a moment. Each second that Zatanna’s soft lips were pressed on Julio felt like the longest stretch of time in his life. But when she pulled away, it felt like it hadn’t been long enough. 
 
When Zatanna sat back down in her chair, she looked at Julio expectantly. But Julio, whose mouth was puffering like a fish from the kiss, could barely think anymore.
 
“I’m… not dreaming? Right?”
 
“It feels like one, doesn’t it?”
 
Zatanna was blushing nearly as deep as Julio, and her breathing was as unsteady as it was hot. But she managed to compose herself, sitting straight and steadying her breath before speaking again. 
 
“Do you want to go again Julio?”
 
Julio was still too stunned to answer intelligently. 
 
“Can I?”
 
Breaking her composure, Zatanna stood up, crossed the table, grabbed Julio by his jacket, pulled him up, and smashed her mouth to his much more forcefully this time.
 
If Julio had been shocked before, now he was frozen stiff as Zatanna aggressively frayed her lips with his. Her red lipstick was smudged all over his mouth. 
 
But she still wanted more. 
 
Opening her teeth, Zatanna let her tongue snake its way to Julio’s lips. Unable to deny her, Julio impulsively opened his mouth to let her enter. 
 
It was a good choice. It allowed Zatanna to explore the insides of his mouth. She stole a taste from every part of him she could reach. While the poor, inexperienced guy could only fumble to try and keep up. His uncertain tongue stole a small savor from behind her teeth, but was too timid to push forward. 
 
When she finally pulled away, her face was red and her lipstick smudged. She also had the biggest smile Julio had seen on her thus far. 
 
“Do you want to do more?”
 
At this point, Julio would be excused for passing out from sensory overload. But he managed to close his eyes, focus himself, and try to make sense of this. 
 
Based on what she had done so far, Julio had a pretty good idea of what she meant by “more”. And while a part of him knew that there would be some problems if he agreed, his body refused to let him. His pants were too tight, his chest too excited, and too much blood had already left his head to go to his ‘head’. 
 
But he did have one question to ask. 
 
“Here?”
 
Even though there was no one else here and it wasn’t even a real restaurant, doing something like that in a place like this did seem a bit too risque. 
 
Zatanna seemed to agree, given how she took Julio’s hand and led him out of the pocket-pocket dimension. 
 
“I have a better idea. Come with me.”
 
The two of them walked out of the pool area and made it to the nearest elevator, Zatanna in the lead. Julio used that walk as an excuse to ogle his older, voluptuous magic teacher. The click of her heels, the sway of her hips, and the bounce of her rear in her dress were a…

calming

sight. Seeing her move made him relax, and helped his nerves settle a little bit from what was seemingly about to happen. 
 
“We’ll go to the top.”
 
Taking Julio inside the elevator, Zatanna waited for the doors to close. Then she all but pounced on him. Pressing his back against against the wall and knocking the wind from his lungs. 
 
“You have no idea how much I wanted this.”
 
Julio’s eyes widened at her statement. Not just because she wanted him, but also because of the implied amount of time.
 
“How long?”
 
“Since our first lesson together,” Zatanna admitted, her fingers brushing his thick dark hair. “We got close when you almost fell. It made me realize how much I wanted someone to be close to.”
 
“Anyone?” Julio asked, almost dejectedly. 
 
“No,” Zatanna assured quickly, one of her hands caressing his cheek.
 
“I meant what I said back at the table,” Zatanna said, leaving a kiss at Julio’s cheek and getting closer to his ear. He felt a chill run down his body when she nibbled him lightly before whispering directly to him.
 
“You are everything my ex’s failed to be. And I don’t care about ethics. I just want to know if you want me.”
 
Julio spoke without thinking. 
 
“Do I look like an idiot?”
 
Even without seeing her, Julio could feel her smile. 
 
“

Good answer.

”
 
The elevator stopped at the top floor. Giving him a quick peck on the lips first, Zatanna took Julio’s hand and directed him to their destination. 
 
The hotel’s luxury suite.
 
Julio could only say one thing when Zatanna opened the unlocked door. 
 
“Woah.”
 
The room definitely lived up to the luxury part of its name. 
 
The entire room was decorated in silver and gold. There were glass tables and couches made of fine fabric. There was a balcony with a pool and lounge chair. 
 
Hell, even the fridge looked like it cost more than his house. 
 
But the momentary distraction did not last. Zatanna didn’t let it. 
 
“Let me get more comfortable.

Egnahc Ym Ssred

.”
 
The dress that Zatanna wore was changed into a skimpier nightdress. An extra strap was formed, but the sight of her cleavage was just as enticing. And the tightness of the dress remained, keeping her curvy waist in full view. 
 
But the best part was the length. More specifically, the lack thereof. This was not a dress that would be decent in public, showing a scandalous amount of thigh. The best part was in the back, where the skirt was so short that Julio could get an enticing view by just tilting his head a bit. 
 
“

Huh. Blue.

”
 
Trying to keep up, Julio took off his jacket and tossed it on the couch. But Zatanna, who had spent too long pent up, wasn’t even willing to wait for him to undo his cuffs first. She tore off his tie with a swiftness he didn’t think was possible before stealing another deep kiss from Julio. 
 
Allowing himself to enjoy the feeling of one of the most beautiful women in the world making out with him, Julio didn’t pay much mind to Zatanna pushing him back. Not until his legs hit something and he fell on a cushion. 
 
Breaking the kiss, Zatanna stood up in front of her student. She stood in a dominant pose, clearly the most experienced and knowledgeable. 
 
But she was also merciful. 
 
“I want this Julio. I really,

really

want this.”
 
She leaned down to meet him face-to-face. She focused on his warm eyes and his adorably eager face. 
 
“But I’m not going to force any of it to happen,” she said sternly. She had to force herself to be restrained, knowing how important this was. 
 
“If you don’t feel comfortable, if you feel scared, we can stop. I’ll deal with myself, and we go back to just being friendly. I’ll still teach you some spells, and we’ll find a way out. But we won’t do anything like this.”
 
She pulled away, but not entirely. She was still within reach. 
 
“It’s up to you.”
 
It was up to Julio. 
 
He had to decide whether to make things awkward for the rest of the stay or to learn a new lesson from his teacher. The choice wasn’t hard. He just had to force himself to say it. 
 
Deciding that actions might make words easier, Julio gently grabbed Zatanna’s waist to keep her close. He felt her body hitch when he grabbed her. 
 
“I want to do this,

Zee

. With you.”
 
Grinning widely, Zatanna decided to go all out. 
 
Not letting the young trainee prepare, Zatanna rushed in and kissed Julio. And again. And again. Quick attacks that only stopped when she slowed down to savor his taste. 
 
When she got her fill of kisses, she knelt lower, spreading his legs. With slow, deliberate movements, Zatanna reached for the button of his pants, releasing it before pulling the zipper. Her breathing was hot and bated as she waited to see what Julio had for her. 
 
What sprung out of his pants delighted her. 
 
It was not the biggest Zatanna had ever seen, nor the thickest. But it was better than she had hoped it would be, better than what she was prepared to work with. Already four inches and still growing, the piece of intoxicating meat in front of her face beckoned at her. 
 
“Is… is it alright?”
 
Giggling at Julio’s nervousness, Zatanna figured that she had better alleviate his concerns. And what better way to do that than to give him the best first blowjob she could?
 
Zatanna lowered her head, her lips brushing against the base of Jamie's cock. She took a deep breath, the scent of his arousal filling her nostrils. Then, without giving Julio a chance to prepare, she parted her lips and traced the length of him with her tongue. She felt him shiver from that. 
 
She went straight to the important part, enveloping his second head in her warm, wet mouth.
 
The sensation was overwhelming for Julio, the feeling of Zatanna lips and tongue on him like nothing he's ever experienced. Zatanna took him deeper, her free hand gently massaging his balls, the other gripping his thigh for leverage. Her mouth worked skillfully, her tongue swirling around the sensitive head, her lips sliding up and down the shaft in a slow, rhythmic motion. 
 
She didn’t have the fondest feelings on her exes, but the experiences they gave her were being put to good use. They were helping her give Julio the best first time anyone would ever have. 
 
Julio let out a soft moan, the pleasure building within him. Zatanna continued her ministrations, her eyes locked on his, a sinful grin curving her lips. The boy's body wriggled, his fingers digging into the couch as he tried to process the heady mix of pleasure and bewilderment.
 
In the magical approximation of a luxury suite, the only sounds were soft moans and the wet, slurping noises of Zatanna’s lips working. The air was thick with taboo lust, and the heat coming from both of their bodies would put a sauna to shame. 
 
Julio's body tensed, his back arching off the bed as the pleasure built. 
 
"Zee," he managed to gasp, his voice thick with lust. 
 
"I... I'm gonna..." 
 
Zatanna, her lips wrapped snugly around his cock, smirked, her eyes never leaving his. She knew exactly what was about to happen, and she was more than ready for it.
 
The first drop of cum hit the back of her throat, followed by steady spurts as Julio came deep in her mouth. String after string shot out of his heated prick, filling her mouth. There were some leftover strands when she pulled away. 
 
She made a show of catching each drop on her face. 
 
Panting and sweating, Julio looked like he had just gotten off a mountain-sized roller coaster. He certainly felt like he had. But as pleased as he was by the experience, he did have one thing to admit.
 
“I’m sorry.”
 
Cleaning off the last white bit from herself, Zatanna frowned at Julio. 
 
“What for?”
 
“I finished too early. I… wanted to last longer for you.”
 
Zatanna couldn’t help herself. She let out a laugh that confused Julio.
 
“What’s funny?”
 
“Julio, I was trying to finish you off quickly. Why do you think I put so much effort into sucking you off?”
 
“You wanted me to finish soon? Why?”
 
“Because…” Zatanna started to sway her hips and touch her body. Julio’s confusion swiftly made way for arousal as the sorceress traced her waist and cupped her breasts, which were already threatening to spill out of her dress. 
 
“I just want you ready for the main event.”
 
Not wanting to wait any longer for Julio to harden again, Zatanna decided to properly motivate him. 
 
Taking only a step back, Zatanna reached behind her back. Julio was confused for a moment, until he heard a sound like a strap being undone. His eyes widened to saucer-size when Zatanna pulled her blue bra out of her dress and tossed them aside. 
 
His eyes grew wider and his pants grew more painful when Zatanna pulled her already short dress by an inch. He saw her pull her panties down her long legs, letting it rest on her right toes. She kicked it to the side next to her bra.
 
Her little show left Julio frozen stiff. It pleased Zatanna that her experience on stage was helpful here as well. But he still didn’t seem to be at full mast. 
 
Pushing things further, Zatanna reached down and undid the first button on Julio’s shirt. Then the next. And then the next. He let her work uninhibited the entire time. 
 
When she was done, Julio shivered as her hands traveled his flat chest. Her skilled fingers trailed every corner of skin she could reach, making it easy for Julio to get rigid again. 
 
She happily took notice of that. One of her hands left his chest to work on reflating him back to full mast. Once he was at (more than acceptable) length, Zatanna made her move. 
 
Both of her knees were now across from Julio’s hips. And her dripping entrance was now right above Julio’s aching rod. And with how wide his eyes were, it was obvious Julio knew what was going to happen. 
 
But only if he truly wanted it. 
 
“Last chance to back out Julio.”
 
Seeing that the older, sexy, and powerful woman was truly serious about wanting to do this with him, Julio felt a small but energizing sense of confidence. Both of his hands reached under her dress to squeeze her bare ass under the nightdress. An action that earned him an excited gasp from Zatanna. 
 
“Do I look like I want to back out?”
 
Elated with his answer, Zatanna lowered her head to give him a deep kiss. It was to help her distract him while she lowered her hips. 
 
The moment his tip bumped against her lower lips, a blast of pleasure shot through both of them. It made the desire to go further even more unbearable for Zatanna. And it made Julio self-control plummet to new lows. Whatever ended up happening, he was not going to stop any of it. 
 
It was a very good decision, because what was about to come next was something Julio would never forget. 
 
Zatanna the slow, arduous, and painfully pleasing process of lowering herself on Julio’s cock. Their kiss had to break as the erotic sensations became too much. Inch by inch, Zatanna made sure Julio’s member went in all the way. 
 
“Ahhh…”
 
Unable to hold back pleasured sounds as inch after inch of Julio’s shockingly thick meat went inside her, Zatanna was able to kill every last sense of doubt in her mind as she felt herself be filled. 
 
Julio’s brow was shiny with sweat, his face was red with hormonal emotions, and his breath was ragged as he experienced pleasures he never had before. And Zatanna loved looking at his face as she cupped his cheeks. He looked adorable to her. And he gets even redder when she lowers her head to steal another kiss. When it ended, she had only one question to ask.
 
“Ready for me to move?”
 
Julio nodded. So Zatanna started off slow. She lifted her waist slowly, hating the loss of fullness that came with leaving. But she had something better planned. When she looked down, she saw the uncovered parts of his shaft, glistening with their shared excitement. 
 
When she was high enough, she all but threw herself back down on him. She heard him gasp at the reentry. Not that she was any better. Their little reunion had her mewing. Especially since his grip on her toned ass was just as tight as the grip her pussy had on his cock. 
 
The back part of Zatanna’s mind was doing cartwheels at the moment. After so many bad breakups, so many false starts, and a traumatic disappointment, she had what she wanted. A lover that was listening to her, willing to keep up, and doing everything he could to please her. Age and situation be dammed. 
 
But the rest of her mind was focused on the absolute euphoria she was feeling right now. A feeling that was only going to get more intense now. 
 
“Enjoy this Julio. I’m going to keep moving.”
 
She moaned loudly, not having to worry about anyone hearing or interrupting, as she began to raise and drop. He was big enough to fill her, but his size was also perfect for her to build up a rhythm of taking him inside her entirely. Again and again, she began to slowly build up the speed on her position. 
 
“

Just like any magic trick,

” Zatanna thought to herself amusingly. “

Make his cock disappear and reappear. Repeatedly.

”
 
Her walls were constantly clamping his cock, and her pace was only growing faster. She murmured in pleasure, moving her hands to his chest, pushing down and bouncing harder.
 
"
Fuck
! Ggg-god!" Zatnna cried out shamelessly as she bounced freely on his cock, her ass clapping down on his lap with wet slaps of flesh. 
 
Zatanna was not the only one enjoying this. Julio could feel his prick burning from blissful pleasure. The feeling of Zatanna’s pussy taking him fulfilled him in ways he couldn’t even describe. But it wasn’t only his groin that was having a great time. 
 
Zatanna was a beautiful woman, that much was obvious. She had the legs of a goddess, an ass toned over years of stage and superhero work, and a face that could enchant anyone. But she also had a very nice pair of tits. Breasts that, while covered in black lace, were also bouncing in front of Julio’s face. If he focused on them, he could get a glimpse of her nipples. But having mounds of soft, round flesh jumping up and down in front of his face was enough to energize him. 
 
Something Zatanna took notice of. Her new partner's grip on her flesh only got stronger, and his ragged breaths meant that she was succeeding at making his first time memorable. 
 
But Zatanna was aiming for more than just memorable. She wanted to make sure that Julio would never forget this. That even if she had to wipe off his memories of their time here, he would still be able to recall his first time subconsciously. 
 
And the way she was going to accomplish that now was by going faster.  Her hips buckled feverishly, crashing against Julio’s as their organs met time after pounding time. Her tantalizing face gazed down at Julio, her eyes blazing with unrestrained lust. 
 
“Fuuuuuccckkkk!”
 
Zatanna didn’t have a care over how loud she was. No one was there to see or judge. It was her and Julio alone. And the only reason he didn’t shout was 
 
Each thrust resulted in gasps of pleasure, eliciting sounds of approval from her young lover. Julio’s eyes were closed, his body and mind unable to keep up with all the jubilant fulfillment he was experiencing. 
 
Both of them were close now. 
 
So close.

So close

….
 
“Zee, I…”
 
“I know. Give it to me. Let it all out.”
 
With just a few thrusts, Julio did exactly that. Once he couldn’t hold it inside anymore, he positioned the entirety of his length inside of Zatanna’s pussy, letting the white fluids shoot out and fill her. Unable to stop smiling, Zatanna dropped down to take all of Julio’s cock and all of his cum. She felt waves of pleasure with each rope that left his tip and filled her womb, making her feel a warmth and joy she hadn’t felt in months. 
 
But speaking of her womb…
 
“

T’nod Tel Em Eb Tnangerp.

” 
 
It took Julio a second, but he got the meaning of her spell. 
 
“You use magic to not get pregnant?”
 
“I always do. It’s why no one I’ve slept with has ever used a condom. I couldn’t get pregnant unless I wanted to.”
 
“That’s useful,” Julio said as he looked Zatanna directly in her blue eyes. Then, riding the high of good first-time sex, he snaked a hand behind her neck and bought her face down for a kiss. Unlike before when Zatanna took the lead, he was the one to open his mouth and invite her tongue inside. An invasion she took, swirling her tongue with his. 
 
To say Zatanna was pleased would be an understatement. She loved seeing Julio take initiative now that he wasn’t anxious and uncertain. She was grinding her lower lips against his manhood (

he was a man now, wasn’t he?

), riling him up to go again. The heat between them was building up again, and Zatanna was very eager to have another round. 
 
“Do you want to do it here again Julio?” Zatanna asked against his lips. “Or do you want to take this to the bed?”
 
Julio only took a second to think.
 
“There’s more room there, right?”
 
Smiling, Zatanna stood up and reached a hand out.
 
“Come on.”
 
Taking Julio’s hand, Zatana led him into the suite bedroom. The king sized bed was big enough for three people, and it had silk sheets with a glisten. They were clearly extravagant and expensive, the best bed for the best room. 
 
Zatanna almost felt bad for how ruined the bed was about to be. 
 
She took him to the edge of the bed. Once she had him where she wanted, she pushed the edges of his shirt off his shoulder, encouraging him to take it off. When his shirt was gone, she pushed him on the bed to make it easier to pull off his unbuttoned pants. 
 
“This is really happening,” Julio said. Not as a question, but as a confirmation that he was about to keep having sex with Zatanna Zatara. One of the most beautiful and powerful heroines on earth. 
 
Were she a more perverted woman, Zatanna would have licked her lips at the sight before her. Young and slim as he was, Julio had great skin and a solid frame. Not to mention how cute he looked in her eyes. 
 
Unable to help herself, Zatanna let her hands gently hold his hips. She saw the shivers that went through his body. And she calmed his nerves by taking his mouth in a kiss, moaning against his lips as she did. 
 
Once she was satisfied, Zatanna decided it was time to get rid of the last barrier between them. She stood up, her cheeks red and her breath hot. And as she looked at his nude frame, Zatanna wanted to make things even. Julio gasped when he saw her fingers at the edges of her dress. 
 
In a fluid motion, Zatanna lifted the black nightdress over her head and tossed it to the side. Letting Julio see

everything

. 
 
Even after everything they had already done, seeing Zatanna laid bare in front of him caused Julio to simply shut down for a moment. All he could focus on was the nude pale beauty in front of him. Her luscious legs, full bare chest, and curving hips were just parts of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Looking at her was like witnessing a holy moment, it left him frozen in place. 
 
But once the moment was over, he couldn’t stop himself. 
 
Julio sat up on the bed and took hold of Zatanna’s hips. 
 
“Julio-!”
 
Any statement she had been about to make was cut off when he snuck and hand behind her head and, just like before, brought her down to his lips. 
 
Julio taking a step forward like this did something for Zatanna. It made everything feel worth the situation. And she threw herself on top of him, the two crashing back down on the bed. 
 
There was no more concern. No doubts, no second thoughts. All Zatanna and Julio wanted now was each other. And in their frenzied, desperate, lustful states: they would get exactly that. 
 
The two tumbled together on the bed, their lips never separating for more than a second. They kissed like demons hoping to take each other’s soul. Like horny teenagers desperate for the taste to last forever (

accurate in Julio’s case

). 
 
Their mouths weren’t the only things that were busy. A beautiful naked woman was on top of him, so Julio couldn’t help his idle hands. They went to his favorite part first, enfolding her breasts and pinching her nipples. This didn’t satisfy him enough, so they went to her ass next. He groped and gripped the cheeks before letting instinct take over again. 
 
He kept one hand on one of them, but lifted the other. And without pausing to think, he let it fall back on her ass. 
 
Hard. 
 
“Ah!”
 
The quick, sudden, and pleasing sting hit Zatanna like a lightning bolt. Jolts of pleasure shot through her entire body. She felt them again when he did it with his other hand. And then with both hands. The fact that his erect cock was pressing up against her rear only made her more aroused. 
 
By the time he had left red marks on her ass, Zatanna was done with foreplay. She needed him inside her again. 
 
Without a word, Zatanna left the kiss, gently pulling his lip with her teeth as she did. She kept her hands on his chest as she straddled him, grabbing a hold of his member to keep it pointing up. She aligned herself with his tip, making sure to look at Julio’s bewildered face the entire time. 
 
Unlike before, when Zatanna wanted to ease Julio into sex, now she just wanted satisfaction. She wanted to be full. 
 
So she slammed her hips back down, letting out a moan as she was filled again.  A deeper groan came from Julio as he was once again assaulted by erotic pleasure. But once he readjusted to the feeling of Zatanna’s dripping hot snatch wrapped around him, he had no reason to complain.
 
Zatanna would rise up until she nearly left him, then come crashing down on him again. Filling herself with his heat constantly, feeling better than she had in months. Not a single thought of a drunk Brit or a tall shark entered her mind. All she focused on was the feeling and joy of intercourse. 
 
The sounds of both mystic’s hips meeting each other intensified, the clapping noise getting faster and faster as the experienced stage magician picked up her pace. Her full breasts bounced wildly all the while, hypnotizing Julio better than any watch or trick ever could. His eyes couldn’t leave her chest. 
 
Zatanna heaved as she looked at her young student below her, noticing where his gaze was. 
 
“You’re free to, ah, touch them.”
 
That was all he needed to hear. Julio rose, his hands leaving her ass and settling around her waist for support, and began nuzzling between her breasts. His mouth soon opened, alternating between the two nipples to suck, lick, and nibble to his heart’s content. 
 
Zatanna was too enraptured to comment on how well he was doing. She could only moan and babble in lewd bliss.
 
The suite room had no noise aside from the sounds of sex: Zatanna’s raunchy screams, Julio’s groans and sucking on breasts, and the slapping of their hips as they kept going for climax.
 
But as good as this felt, Zatanna didn’t want to cum like this. She wanted something a little better. 
 
“Wait. Wait.”
 
Zatanna suddenly got off, leaving Julio’s cock without a hole. It left him feeling cold. Like he had been to the Bahamas and was suddenly dropped in the arctic. 
 
He was about to ask what he had done wrong, why she had stopped, when he saw her crawl away. Her back was facing him, and she was now on her knees on the other side of the bed. She dropped onto her elbows, pointing her backside directly at him. 
 
She tossed her hair from her face and looked at him over her shoulder, and her toes curled in excitement. Julio was gaping at her, his mouth hanging open and his eyes huge as he stared at her toned, inviting ass.
 
“Come on,” she said coyly. “It’s all for you”
 
A delighted smile lit up his face. He practically jumped on the bed and then he was kneeling behind her on the sheets. His hands were on his hips, and he was pointing himself at her entrance. He was nudging her pussy from behind. 
 
“Do it,” Zatanna whispered in a needy voice. Just loud enough for him to hear. Just loud enough to entice
 
His first stroke made her see stars. It had been so long since she had done anal, and she was remembering the joyful, painful bliss that came with it. 
 
His second stroke made her whole body feel like it was quaking from the inside out. By the third stroke, she was squealing with how exquisite she felt.
 
“Nothing!” she cried. “Just — ah, just fuck me!”
 
He did so dutifully. His grip didn’t waver, his speed never dropped, and his grunts showed how much exertion he was putting into this. But the face remained: he was young, and this was his first night doing this. 
 
“I- I’m gonna…”
 
“It’s ok,” Zatanna assured him. “I’m not far behind.”
 
Her approval was all he needed. He fucked her faster, his fingers digging into her hips, one hand tightly squeezing her ass. Zatanna listened with contentment as his breathing grew more and more erratic. 
 
And then, it came.

They

came.
 
When he finished, he groaned and pressed his chest to her spine and curled his arm around her in a tight embrace, and the sticky heat of his sweaty skin made her shudder against his warmth.
 
He trembled behind her, his breath hot against her shoulder blade as he pumped into her few more times, and when he finally went still, it was with his forehead pressed to her back and his arms wrapped loosely around her waist.
 
For Zatanna, her climax was slightly more restrained, She let out a quivering cry as she reached her orgasm seconds later. She felt her fluids leak and spread down her legs, no doubt coating Julio’s still sheathed cock. The thought of it made her happier than she wanted to think about. 
 
At this point, neither of them were able to think about much. Zatanna had been alone for too long, and Julio had just experienced a first time that few could even dream of. 
 
The two collapsed on the bed, Julio’s arms still on her hips and his cock still inside her. Neither of them cared. They were full. They were fulfilled. 
 
They fell asleep, the afterglow of their passions covering and soothing them.

Hours Later

…
 
Time didn’t really exist in the dimension, so Julio and Zatanna had no idea how much time had passed since they fell asleep. What they did know is that once they woke up, they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves anymore. 
 
A lot of energy had been used up the night before, so they were much more gentle now. Their bodies were cuddled together. Zatanna’s breasts were on Julio’s chest, the soft mounds caressing against him. Their kiss, not erratic and ravishing, was instead slow and methodical. They took their time, savoring the taste of one another. 
 
When they finally pulled away, it was Julio who asked the question on both their minds. 
 
“What now?”
 
It was a good question. One that Zatanna did not have a good answer for. 
 
Morally, ethically, and even practically, this was all a bad decision. She had sex with a teenager. One that was not only incarcerated with her in a pocket dimension, but one that she had agreed to teach magic. Knowing how to kiss, eat a woman out, and fuck just right were not supposed to be part of the teaching. 
 
But Zatanna didn’t care. She couldn’t even pretend to. Her time with Julio had been some of the best of her life. So she was already amending the lesson plans. 
 
“I’m willing for things to stay this way if you are.”
 
“Definitely,” Julio said without hesitation. One of his hands came up to her breasts, kneading the soft mound. While Zatanna would normally mind the fact that someone had their hands all over her, Julio was a new exception. 
 
“Still, didn’t you say we needed to find a way back? People might start searching if we don’t go back. And if they find us here like this, well…”
 
Another reason that giving in had been a bad idea. If news ever got about what Zatanna had done to Julio, she could kiss both her careers goodbye. No state on earth would risk having her name attached to it, and the other superheroes would shun her if they found out she had bedded a minor. Even if she didn’t end up going to prison, she wouldn’t have a chance at a normal life anymore. 
 
But she never had one that she could miss. And after so many heartbreaks, she wasn’t going to give up on the lover she’d ever had just because of an age gap. 
 
With a little magic, she could solve this one problem at a time. 
 
She and Julio had to find a way out, but she didn’t want to leave the bed. For that, she already had an idea. 
 
“You ready to learn a new spell Julio?”
 
“Sure. What is it?”
 
“Something that can help us kill two birds with one stone.”
 
Getting out of the bed, Zatanna took Julio’s hand and led him out of the bedroom and to the living room. She eyed the pool in the corner of her eye for a moment. She had an idea she would get to later. For now, it was time to focus on magic. 
 
“You said yourself that we still need to find a way out of this dimension. But truthfully, I’d rather spend more time having sex with you.”
 
Zatanna wasn’t sure how he did it, but Julio was still pulling off the cute blush. Even after they had already fucked each other’s brains out. 
 
“I’m… glad you enjoyed it too,” Julio said with a red face and a meek smile.
 
“

Oh yeah, I’m keeping him

,” Zatanna thought to herself. Then she continued with the lesson. 
 
“The good news is, I know a useful spell that will fix that problem. It’s a little advanced, but I think you can figure it out. You’ve already succeeded at my other lessons.”
 
“Ok. What is the spell?”
 
Zatanna was a showwoman, so she chose actions over explanations.
 
“

Etacilpud!

”
 
With a snap of her fingers, Zatanna summoned a mound of mystic energy right next to her. The mound was made of visible light, and it began to take a shape very similar to Zatanna’s feminine form. Once the shape was taken, the light began to take a stronger resemblance. 
 
In an instant, an exact copy of Zatanna, down to the most minute, naked detail, was next to the original. 
 
Julio’s eyes darted between the two nude women. Technically they were the same woman, but he was seeing two pairs of tits and two vaginas. That made two women as far as he was concerned, and his body was responding appropriately. His prick was already at half mast by looking at them, and he was having trouble thinking of something to say. 
 
“Come here,” Zatanna instructed, pointedly not looking at his crotch. “Notice how she’s not an illusion or a trick on your mind?”
 
Following her instructions, Julio realized that she was telling the truth. He grabbed her hand, feeling a familiar soft warmth. He then rubbed his palm on one of her breasts while the other hand grabbed an asscheek. Both felt just as good in his grip as they had the night before. 
 
“I feel just as real, don’t I?”
 
Julio was taken aback, not expecting the clone to speak. But his worries vanished when the copy of a woman stepped forward, leaning down slightly to kiss him. 
 
That also felt just a good as before.
 
“That’s enough of that,” Zatanna said with a snap of her fingers. The clone disappeared the next second. 
 
“Hope you don’t mind, but I don’t plan to share you just yet.”
 
“Not even with yourself?”
 
“You did incredible last night. I’m keeping you to myself. At least for now,” Zatanna said without room for argument. Then she turned her head to the kitchen. 
 
“I’m gonna go to the kitchen and grab something small to eat. Do you want something?”
 
“Some grapes don’t sound too bad. Don’t want me with you?”
 
“I want you to practice the duplication spell. The sooner you get it, the sooner we can have help,” Zatanna explained. “The truth is, the spell isn’t too complicated. It requires a lot of magical energy, but the spell itself is simple.”
 
“Ok. What do I need to do?”
 
“Two things. One: you need to relax, and focus on just yourself and your goal. Think about what you need the clone. Having a need makes it easier to draw out the magic needed for a spell on your first time.”
 
“And the second?”
 
“This might be a bit more complicated. You need to have at least a basic understanding of yourself. You need to focus on the basic traits that make you who you are. The components that make you an individual. Those are the things you want to replicate.”
 
Julio took a moment to think about her explanation. 
 
“So, I’m thinking about the things that make me…

me

. And then I’m copying them into another form?”
 
“You got it,” Zatanna said encouragingly. She gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and a peck on the cheek to motivate him. “Let me get your grapes.”
 
She was only a few feet away, but Julio felt as if she had left him alone. Her plan to motivate had worked, so he was trying to clear his mind of every thought. He wanted to make this work.
 
Closing his eyes, Julio tried to follow her suggestion. To think about the traits that comprised himself. It wasn’t very easy, since he didn’t think about himself that often. Whether it was humility of self-deprecation was up for debate. But he could think of a few descriptive words.

Artistic

. He liked to sketch.

Sarcastic

. He had his moments. His family and anyone who knew him could attest.

Optimistic

. Maybe a little too much. It was the main reason he hadn’t panicked too much since he got here.

Kind

. He tried to be. If someone wasn't mean to him, he had no reason to mess with them.

Open-minded

. He was willing to accept this situation. It was why he was willing to learn magic. 
 
Those were five ways he would describe himself. Five ways he could explain who he was as a person. But that was only half of the mystic equation. 
 
His eyes closed and his mind focused, Julio conjured up the reasons he wanted to make a magic clone. The first was self-serving. He wanted to prove that he could do it. That he wouldn’t be a student of magic forever. 
 
The second reason was more altruistic. He wanted him and Zatanna to be able to escape. He wanted to go see his father again. To tell the man that raised him that he was alright. To go see his home again. And he did want that. 
 
But when he got to the third reason, Julio was at his most honest with himself. The true reason he wanted to have a clone was so that the clone could go and deal with the mundane chore of escape. 
 
Because while the clone was gone and doing the work, he could stay here and keep having sex with Zatanna. 
 
The moment his true desire was admitted, his mind was flooded with images of it. There was last night, when Zatanna took him to this suite by the hand, kissing him all the way up. There was their first time on the couch, when Julio became a man thanks to an enchanting woman. And then there was the bed, when the two were laid bare together and went all out for their carnal desires. 
 
There were also visions of other things they could do. They could do it on the carpet, in any position. They could use the kitchen table for things Julio could barely imagine. There was a pool right outside the screen doors, and Julio could already picture the sort of fun they could have there. 
 
As Julio’s mind was flooded, so was the air with mystic energy. As well as a shape next to him. 
 
He spoke a word that he had never heard. But one that felt right coming from his tongue. 
 
“

Duplicare

.”
 
“Oh my god.”
 
Hearing her voice took Julio out of his focus. When he saw her, he followed her eyesight to something right to-
 
Him. 
 
“Does my face really look like that?”
 
It was weird looking at a physical representation of himself that wasn’t a flat mirror. Like someone made a wax statue of him. That could move. And blink. And move around on its own. 
 
“You really are a natural at this,” Zatanna said with a note of pride. And with a smoky hint of lust underneath. “Since you already have it figured out,

Etacilpud!

”
 
A clone of Zatanna appeared right next to Julio’s. They smiled at each other. 
 
“We’ll send them down to look for a way out,” Zatanna said as she handed Julio a small dish of grapes. “Don’t want to send them like this though.

Sehtolc

!”
 
They had on simple outfits now. Zatanna’s clone wore a white button shirt with black leggings. Julio’s outfit was simpler, being a black shirt with black pants. And once they had clothes and orders, they left the suite to continue searching for an escape. 
 
Unnoticed by their originals, Julio and Zatanna’s clone walked out holding hands. And once they were out of the room, their hands went to other places as well. 
 
With them gone, the original Julio and Zatanna were once again alone in the hotel suite. Naked. And aroused. 
 
“So what n-?”
 
Julio’s question was swallowed by Zatanna’s mouth as she pressed her lips to his own. From there, neither of them held back. 
 
"What do you say we have fun?"
 
"I can live with that. Zee."
 
Dropping his dish of grapes, Julio summoned more strength than he knew he had and lifted Zatanna off the ground, gripping her perky ass for support. Pleasantly surprised, Zatanna wrapped her legs around Julio’s waist as they moved back to the bedroom. 
 
The tip of his fully erect cock was already edging into her pussy. It was obvious what they intended to do first. 
 
Their time in this hotel dimension was only going to get better.