“Welcome, little sister,” I say, standing to greet her, giving her what I hope she can see is a warm smile. She looks quite sad. And why would she not? What must have happened for her to die so young? I want to ask her, and to comfort her, but this is not the way things are done. We are taught to keep our feelings in check when conversing with the deceased. We must not make the contact personal. This is not only to maintain a professional detachment, it is for the protection of the spirit, as well as for our own protection. A close personal connection could prove dangerous. There are well-documented incidents of what can happen when a necromancer crosses that particular line. All young witches who practice necromancy are told these stories as cautionary tales. My father recounted the time, when he was himself a minor witch, learning his craft, and he had been present at a calling. The coven had convened to consult on the matter of succession, as the recently departed Head Witch had left no heir. The aim had been to call a reliably wise and insightful spirit, one who had helped them before, and to, in effect, give this guide the casting vote in the selection of a new leader. No one could have foreseen what would happen that night. It transpired that one of the senior witches, a woman with a dramatic nature, had grown close to another spirit guide. To say that they were lovers would be incorrect, as, of course, the visiting deceased had no physical form through which to express affection or desire, though he may well have felt both. But there had indeed developed a relationship that was intense and exclusive. And, it turned out, lethal. The lovelorn spirit had appeared in the circle during the meeting, highly emotional, and bewailing the fact that the witch had begun to spurn him and had, he knew, taken an earth-treading lover. He was enraged and distraught, and, not unnaturally, the witch in question sought to calm him. In doing so, she stepped into the circle. In an instant the spirit changed from pathetic to demonic. The truth was then revealed. He had gone into the darkness and gained powerful black magic to enable him to exact his revenge. Before anyone could prevent it, he grabbed the witch and took her down with him into the darkness. She was never seen again. The coven members made strenuous and sustained attempts to find her, to call her or her demon lover back, but she never answered.

The girl now standing in the circle has clearly never stepped into the darkness, even though she has dwelled in the Land of Night for two centuries. She looks about her with curiosity and a little awe, but is not frightened. I notice she is holding some flowers in her hand. Small blue ones with yellow centers that I believe to be forget-me-nots.