"Does it matter?"
Soren's voice stayed calm.
Fiona stared at him in silence. On the plane she'd only seen him as useful—someone strong enough to resist her mind-reading. She'd planned to pull him into the academy as her personal advisor, a clean replacement for the mute butler who already knew too many of her secrets.
Now the tables had turned. This prey knew things about her and was forcing her hand.
Humiliation and rage burned in her chest. Once she could make every witch in New Orleans kneel. Now some kid was pushing her around?
Her pride wouldn't allow it.
A hypnotic pink glow flashed in her eyes.
Soren felt the psychic blade slam into his mind—stronger than before.
"Guess you want to do this the hard way."
His eyes went cold. He blurred forward.
Fiona's glow hadn't even faded before Soren had her by the throat, lifting the Supreme Witch off the ground.
She clawed at his fingers and unleashed everything. The fireplace exploded into a roaring fire dragon. Furniture ripped free and flew at him from every angle.
Soren didn't flinch.
Purple demonic energy coated his right arm. Partial Demonization.
He drove his fist straight into her stomach.
The shockwave tore the fire dragon apart and blasted Fiona through the wall behind her.
She hit the floor hard, coughing blood. Her magic collapsed. Furniture crashed down around them.
Soren let go. Fiona curled up on the ground, clutching her gut.
He looked down at her without concern. A Supreme who couldn't take one punch didn't deserve the title. And if she died, he could always trade her corpse to Marie Laveau.
"I'm offering you a straight deal, Headmistress," Soren said. "I'll be back tomorrow. Don't do anything stupid."
He turned and walked out.
Cool night air hit him as he stepped into a crowded bar. The demonic mark he'd left on Madison was still active here. He'd come to New Orleans to build his own network. Marie Laveau had been the original target, but Fiona changed the math.
Fiona was a calculating old snake. Working with her meant getting bitten eventually. Better to back young, naive Zoe instead. Let her become Supreme, then kill Fiona and transfer every drop of power to Zoe. Use Fiona's corpse to bring Marie Laveau into the fold. After that, every witch in New Orleans would answer to him.
That was why Fiona was still breathing.
He pushed through the crowd, following the mark toward the back exit.
Zoe suddenly crashed into him from the side.
"Soren! Madison's gone. She was right here."
Soren kept moving. "Come with me."
He shoved the back door open. Dark alley. A group of frat boys in baseball jerseys stood laughing over Madison's unconscious body. They were already unbuckling their belts.
Soren stepped out. "Gentlemen. This isn't the place."
They turned, saw one guy, and grinned.
One tried to throw an arm around Soren's shoulders while reaching for a weapon.
Soren's fist answered.
The guy dropped without a sound. The rest never got the chance to react.
Seconds later it was over.
"Madison!"
Zoe shoved through and dropped beside her friend.
Madison's eyes fluttered open. She took in the bodies, shoved Zoe away, and grabbed the fence to stand.
"Oh? My hero?"
Her legs gave out. Soren caught her arm and steadied her.
"You really are—"
Madison bit her lip and glared.
The next morning they returned to the academy.
Madison walked straight past everyone without a word. Zoe stayed quiet behind Soren.
The living room looked untouched. Fiona sat on the couch with a cigarette, back in full Supreme mode. Fear and venom still flickered in her eyes when she saw him.
"Decided yet?"
Soren asked.
Fiona nodded. "Show me the method first. Or at least let me see it."
"No problem."
He headed for the door. Fiona and Zoe followed. Madison reappeared in a much shorter dress and joined them without a word.
The Mercedes waited outside.
"Where are we going?" Fiona asked from the passenger seat, glancing back with open disdain.
Soren met her eyes. "You witches have a place you call sacred ground, right?"
Fiona frowned. "You mean Marie Laveau's tomb?"
Soren nodded. "That's the one."
Centuries ago it had been a witch's sanctuary. A noblewoman bought the land and had Marie Laveau's husband killed. Marie gave the woman a potion that cursed her with immortality, then buried her alive so she would choke in darkness forever. That burial site was the ground the witches still revered.
The immortality Soren was offering Fiona was that noblewoman.
The potion recipe? Fiona's problem.
Fiona stayed quiet, confused. She had planned to take the new students there soon anyway. Just old houses and an ugly story. Nothing special.
She never expected the secret to eternal life was sitting in a place every witch already knew.
How many more secrets was this man still hiding?