Anyone who is involved in the raising of spirits will have to cross the veil that divides the realm of the living from that of the dead. The followers of Lazarus have named these places the Land of Day and the Land of Night, and see them as separated by the Rubicon. We are taught how to venture to the habitat of the dead, but we only do so from a position of safety. We may call a familiar and willing spirit anywhere, though it is customary, and more sensible, to do so either at our home or at a place where those spirits visit to test the boundary themselves, such as graveyards, sacred spaces, and crossroads. What matters is that we make the connection only while we are firmly and securely rooted where we belong. The Head Witch is often seen as a natural conduit for conversations and prognostications with those in the Land of Night, and over time, I know I will spend more and more time in their company. I will have to guard against being drawn to their melancholy but beautiful world too much, for it is not where I belong, not yet. But it is strangely alluring. It is peopled with our loved ones who have gone before us, as well as with spirits of incredible wisdom, so that there is a risk witches begin to detach themselves from their terrestrial life. I saw it with Father. At times he would become withdrawn and fretful. I understand more already, even after a few short months as head of the coven. The home of the spirits is without pain, without base bodily drives and needs. There is such a beauty in its purity, it is truly wonderful. This pull, this constant yearning by the spirits for us, and by our own souls for the peace and bliss of such an existence, will be at its strongest when I embark on the act of Infernal Necromancy, for that is what I must do to save Freddie.

But this seduction is not the greatest danger that I face. That comes from the Darkness. The Darkness is the deepest level of the Land of Night, where demons and creatures of our nightmares dwell. The place emits a powerful and venal energy. Its inhabitants are jealous of those who still tread the earth and delight in causing us suffering. Their chief goal is to capture the unwary and drag them down to their pit. Even experienced necromancers have been lost to the Darkness. I recall only too well how close I came to being taken into the abyss by the demon I summoned at my inauguration. I must be on my guard.