Fiona took the young witches into New Orleans that morning for a lesson on the city’s supernatural history.
Their walking tour included several locations connected to old covens, Voodoo practitioners, and the infamous LaLaurie Mansion in the French Quarter.
Cordelia also left the academy shortly afterward to meet her husband, Hank.
Before long, only Charlie and Spalding remained inside the enormous mansion.
Whenever Spalding had no work to complete, he locked himself inside his attic and surrounded himself with an unsettling collection of antique dolls.
The carefully arranged dresses, furniture, and miniature tea sets might have delighted an ordinary child, but the old servant’s obsession gave the room a disturbing atmosphere.
Charlie had no intention of interrupting him.
He returned to his bedroom and slept for nearly an hour to recover from the previous night.
After waking, he opened his laptop and continued studying reports of possible supernatural activity around New Orleans.
The Book of Containment had given him less than ten days to secure his first target.
Whether he enjoyed the assignment or not, failure might result in punishment or even cause the Book to classify him as something that needed to be contained.
Charlie preferred not to discover what would happen.
He reviewed the locations saved on his phone and separated them according to risk.
Public cemeteries, historic buildings, and crowded tourist sites went near the top because he could investigate them during the day without attracting much attention.
The abandoned plantations, isolated swamps, and condemned buildings would have to wait.
Even with Madison beside him, entering those places without transportation or better equipment would be dangerously reckless.
Charlie placed the Glock 17 on his desk and cleaned it carefully.
He had seen enough horror movies to understand that weapons often failed at the worst possible moment, so he inspected the pistol, magazines, and ammunition before returning everything to working order.
He briefly considered soaking the bullets in holy water as he had seen characters do in supernatural movies.
Common sense stopped him before he ruined the ammunition with moisture.
Instead, Charlie poured a small amount of holy water onto a cloth and used it to wipe the exterior of several cartridges.
He dried them thoroughly afterward, though he had no idea whether such a symbolic blessing would accomplish anything against a ghost or demon.
The Book of Containment offered no reaction.
The small crucifix and pocket Bible rested beside the pistol.
Charlie touched the cross and muttered several awkward prayers he remembered from childhood, hoping that God would overlook the fact that his renewed faith had begun only after he entered a world filled with witches.
His preparations were far from professional, but they were better than confronting the supernatural with nothing except confidence.
Charlie secured the Glock beneath his shirt, placed the holy water and Bible inside a small shoulder bag, and checked the time.
It was almost noon, and the academy remained quiet enough for him to hear the old pipes moving behind the walls.
His stomach reminded him that he had skipped breakfast while researching.
Charlie headed downstairs and began preparing lunch.
Spalding remained hidden in the attic, which allowed him to use the kitchen without enduring another territorial stare from the older servant.
He found chicken, vegetables, bread, cheese, and several containers of leftovers.
After some experimentation, he prepared grilled chicken sandwiches with roasted tomatoes and a large skillet of seasoned potatoes.
The meal was nearly finished when voices approached the front entrance.
The academy door opened, followed by the sound of several tired young women entering the mansion.
Zoe appeared first and smiled the moment she saw Charlie standing near the kitchen.
“Hey, Charlie.”
She crossed the hall and wrapped one arm around him in an affectionate greeting.
Before Charlie could answer, Madison entered behind her and removed her sunglasses.
“Hey, Charlie.”
Her tone copied Zoe’s almost perfectly.
Zoe slowly looked over her shoulder.
Madison met her gaze with an innocent smile as though she had done nothing unusual.
Queenie entered next and pushed between them before another silent competition could begin.
After walking around the city for most of the morning, she appeared more interested in lunch than their rivalry.
“Please tell me there’s food.
Fiona marched us through half of New Orleans without letting us stop anywhere.”
“There’s plenty,” Charlie assured her.
“I finished cooking a few minutes ago.”
He looked toward the entrance but did not see Fiona.
“Where’s the Supreme?”
“She left after the tour,” Zoe replied as she followed him into the kitchen.
“She said she had something important to handle.”
Charlie understood without asking for more details.
Fiona had not returned to New Orleans because she suddenly cared about teaching young witches.
She was searching for a way to recover her youth and prevent the next Supreme from rising, so whatever she considered important probably served one of those goals.
Charlie carried the food into the dining room while Zoe helped with the plates.
Madison remained close behind them, though she contributed nothing beyond choosing the chair nearest to Charlie.
The witches ate with far more enthusiasm than he expected.
Queenie finished two sandwiches, then emptied most of the remaining potatoes onto her plate before anyone else could stop her.
Madison criticized her table manners but still asked Charlie to cook the same meal again.
Nan quietly enjoyed the food, while Zoe appeared pleased that her boyfriend had prepared lunch for everyone.
After they finished, the young witches separated to pursue their own interests.
Miss Robichaux’s Academy did not follow the rigid schedule of an ordinary school.
Cordelia focused on magical history, herbalism, spells, and controlling individual gifts, which left the students with considerable free time outside their lessons.
Nan collected her books and noise-canceling headphones before retreating to a quiet corner of the mansion.
Although the headphones could not block telepathic voices, they discouraged people from approaching her and allowed her to pretend she was alone.
Queenie decided that one large lunch had not been enough.
She ordered popcorn and several snacks through a delivery service, then settled in front of the television for an afternoon of movies.
Zoe was the most disciplined student in the academy.
She returned to her room with several books about inherited abilities and began reviewing everything Cordelia had taught her.
Charlie understood the real reason behind her enthusiasm. Get faster updates on g.com.
Zoe wanted to control the power that had killed the original Charlie Taylor.
She believed that mastering her condition would eventually allow them to have a normal relationship without placing his life in danger.
Charlie supported her efforts, though he had no intention of testing her progress anytime soon.
Madison would normally have spent the afternoon shopping on Magazine Street, visiting expensive boutiques, or finding a bar willing to overlook her age.
Instead, she remained downstairs and followed Charlie from the dining room to the kitchen.
She leaned against the counter while he cleaned the dishes and talked about the field trip.
Most of her comments involved insulting Fiona, criticizing the tourists around the LaLaurie Mansion, or complaining that historical buildings smelled old.
Charlie listened patiently because he had been waiting for an opportunity to speak with her alone.
Once he finished cleaning, he dried his hands and turned toward her.
“Are you interested in going out this afternoon?”
Madison’s eyes brightened at once.
A slow smile appeared on her face as she stepped away from the counter.
“Are you asking me on a date?”
Charlie had expected flirtation, but her directness still caught him off guard.
“It’s not a date.
Think of it as two friends exploring the city.”
Madison folded her arms.
“You already have a girlfriend.
I’m aware.”
“This is my first real day in New Orleans, and I need someone who knows the area.
You seemed like the most experienced choice.”
The explanation pleased her despite the careful wording.
“I can be a very attentive tour guide.”
Madison emphasized the word attentive while holding his gaze.
She then glanced toward the staircase leading to Zoe’s room.
“Should we tell your girlfriend?”
“There’s no need to interrupt her.
She’s studying, and I don’t expect us to be gone for long.”
Madison’s smile became more suggestive.
“I understand.”
She stepped closer until little space remained between them.
Her perfume reached Charlie before she leaned toward his ear.
“For the record, I wouldn’t mind if it were a date.”
Charlie remained motionless for several seconds.
Madison pulled back with obvious satisfaction.
She had learned enough about him to know that direct flirting could disrupt his calm expression.
Charlie silently repeated the words of the prayer he had muttered upstairs.
He doubted religious discipline was supposed to be used against attractive witches, but it helped him clear his thoughts.
He could not allow Madison to control the direction of the conversation.
There was another important subject he needed to address before they left.
“One more thing.”
Madison raised an eyebrow.
“I spent nearly all my money on something important yesterday.
You’ll have to cover our expenses while we’re out.”
For the first time since he invited her, Madison had no immediate response.
She had been acting since childhood and still possessed considerable savings despite her declining career and her parents taking a large portion of her income.
Paying for transportation, food, or admission tickets would not create a financial problem.
The request surprised her for a different reason.
Men usually competed for the privilege of paying for Madison.
They bought her drinks, sent expensive gifts, and offered luxury vacations in exchange for her attention.
Charlie was the first person to invite her out and then calmly announce that she would be paying.
Madison stared at him as though trying to decide whether he was joking.
Charlie maintained an apologetic smile.
“You did say you’d be my guide.”
“You have unbelievable nerve.”
“Is that a no?”
Madison considered everything that had happened since he arrived.
Charlie had saved her from the fraternity members, stopped her from provoking Fiona, cooked for her, and treated her without the desperate admiration she received from most men.
His unusual behavior made him more interesting rather than less.
“Fine,” she said at last.
“I’ll pay this time.”
Charlie smiled.
“Thank you, Madison.”
“Don’t make me regret it.”
After retrieving her purse and sunglasses, Madison returned in the same fitted black dress Fiona had ordered her to wear that morning.
Charlie praised the outfit, which immediately improved her mood and removed the last trace of annoyance over paying.
They left Miss Robichaux’s Academy together and followed a tourist map through New Orleans.
Their outing began normally enough.
Madison showed Charlie the elegant homes of the Garden District, several historic streets, and the crowded shops near the French Quarter.
They passed musicians performing on sidewalks, restaurants filled with afternoon customers, and balconies decorated with iron railings.
Charlie showed polite interest at first.
As the afternoon continued, however, his attention shifted away from the city’s architecture.
He began checking narrow side streets, old courtyards, historic buildings, and every location connected to a reported haunting.
Madison noticed that he spent more time reading plaques about murders and unexplained deaths than admiring expensive houses.
He repeatedly compared their location to the map on his phone and redirected their route toward places most tourists avoided.
Their pleasant walk gradually turned into an investigation.
Charlie stopped outside an old hotel rumored to contain a haunted room.
He examined a restaurant where customers claimed to hear the footsteps of a dead former owner, then led Madison past several buildings associated with Voodoo rituals and violent crimes.
Nothing happened.
The Book of Containment remained silent throughout the search.
None of the locations produced a notification or showed any sign of genuine supernatural activity.
Charlie had relied on dramatic stories posted by tourists, amateur ghost hunters, and people desperate for attention.
After several hours, he began to suspect that most of the accounts had been invented or exaggerated.
Madison’s patience steadily weakened.
She had imagined designer stores, drinks, and possibly a private hotel room if Charlie proved less loyal to Zoe than he pretended.
Instead, he had dragged her through alleys, old buildings, and gift shops filled with plastic skulls.
The final destination destroyed any remaining illusion that this was a date.
Charlie led her to the entrance of Lafayette Cemetery No.
1.
The historic cemetery was closed behind its gates, but rows of aboveground tombs could still be seen beyond the walls.
Even beneath the bright Louisiana sun, the weathered stone and narrow passages carried a somber atmosphere.
Madison stopped and removed her sunglasses.
“Charlie, why did you bring me to a cemetery?”
He studied the graves beyond the gate and released a disappointed sigh.
They had spent half the day following reports of supernatural encounters without finding a single trace of anything unusual.
Charlie could no longer avoid explaining himself.
“I forgot to mention that I’m interested in the supernatural.”
Madison stared at him.
“You live in a house filled with witches.”
“I mean ghosts, monsters, haunted buildings, and creatures that most people believe are only legends.”
He gestured toward the cemetery.
“I wanted to see whether any of the stories around New Orleans were true.
People claim this place is haunted, and there are old rumors about vampires, walking corpses, and strange figures appearing between the tombs.”
Madison slowly began to understand.
“So this entire afternoon was a ghost hunt?”
“More or less.”
“You invited me out because you wanted protection.”
Charlie smiled without denying it.
“You are the strongest person I know who might agree to come.”
Madison should have been insulted.
Instead, the admission appealed to her pride.
She stepped closer to the cemetery gates and examined the shadowed passages between the tombs.
Her earlier boredom gradually gave way to curiosity.
“I didn’t expect you to have such a strange hobby.”
Charlie shrugged.
“Witches exist.
Once that becomes a proven fact, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and every other legend become much easier to believe.”
He pointed toward her.
“You’re the evidence.”
Madison considered his reasoning, then nodded.
“That actually makes sense.”
She looked through the gate again with growing interest.
The possibility of encountering something genuinely supernatural was far more exciting than another afternoon spent shopping.
“What would we do if we found a ghost?”
Charlie had prepared several careful explanations, but he decided to let her imagination lead the conversation.
“What would you want to do?”
Madison smiled.
“We could catch it and take it back to the academy.”
She pictured Queenie opening a closet only to find a furious spirit waiting inside.
The thought immediately improved her mood.
“It would be worth the trouble just to watch Queenie scream.”
Charlie clapped his hands once.
“That is an excellent idea.”
He had expected to spend hours convincing Madison to assist him.
Instead, her curiosity and desire to torment Queenie had done the work for him.
His supernatural partner had volunteered without ever realizing she was part of a carefully prepared plan.
Madison walked along the cemetery wall while searching for another entrance.
Charlie followed with one hand resting near the concealed Glock and the Book of Containment waiting silently inside his mind.
Apparently, Madison possessed the same dangerous curiosity found in countless horror-movie characters.
Charlie could only hope her power would keep them alive when that curiosity finally led them to something real.