Page 83 of Rogue Witch

Philip’s eyes blaze and I tense in readiness for the heat that suddenly radiates off him. He isn’t as powerful a dragon as I am, but he’s no slouch.

Domini steps between us and says in a voice so dangerous that the hairs on the back of my neck rise, “Do not test us.”

Philip blinks, then his mouth thins. “I will expect to hear from Olympia.”

“You may count on hearing from her,” Domini replies. “I suggest you prepare your daughter for the stripping of her powers.”

“Stripping of her powers?” His hands fall into fists, but he turns and stalks from the room.

Domini watches him go, then says to me, “I believe we need to talk at length with Ms. Crowe.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

LEILAH

What the fuck could Shadow Hell possibly be the key to? Could Grams believe Shadow magic has something to do with Shadow Hell? That might not be a stretch. In the eons since the Hell Gates have been locked, not even the most powerful witches have been able to communicate with anyone in Hell. On the other hand, there are those who swear they talk to souls in Shadow Hell.

I snort. If we can communicate with souls in Shadow Hell, that means Grams is ignoring my efforts to contact her. Unless she didn’t end up in Shadow Hell. Yeah, a white witch who turned to Shadow magic, she’s going straight to Hell—or Shadow Hell.

Could Grams have communicated with someone in Shadow Hell? She easily had the power to talk with the dead. There are some powerful badasses in Shadow Hell who could tell her how to use Shadow magic. My insides quiver with anger. She killed herself trying to master the darkest magic that exists. Now she’s in Shadow Hell with whatever asshole she was trying to contact. I hope they’re having a big party roasting each other over an open fire pit. She can burn forever, for all I care.

Grams was one of the most powerful witches around. What if she teams up with the assholes in Shadow Hell? So what? It’s not possible for anyone to escape Shadow Hell or to make trouble for us in the earthly plane. Shadow Hell is a one way trip. In.

My eye catches the line Hades and Morningstar will also be freed. There’s only one way the ruler of Hell and the Underworld—an extension of Hell—could be freed. If the Hell Gates are opened. Was Grams trying to open the Hell Gates? She wouldn’t be the first witch to try.

Tears spring to my eyes.

“Stop being stupid,” I order.

Detective Mills was right. People change. Or maybe Grams was never who I thought she was. I don’t have to worry about who she was or her trying to open the Hell Gates. She’s dead. Still, I can’t help wondering what she meant by We can’t go on living in fear. Death is better than fear. He must be freed. Who can’t go on living in fear and who is the ”he” that must be freed? Hades? The Morningstar? I yank my gaze back onto the line Hades and the Morningstar will also be freed. Also? That implies “along with” someone else. The ”he”?

“Goddamn you, Grams.” I tap the image for the next page in the book.

If anyone is capable of finding this book, it’s you, Olympia. Yes, I know you are reading this book.

I blow out a breath. Of course. I should have known. Grams left the book for the Grand Witch to find. Unexpected hurt coils in my belly. I’m stupid. I never really thought she’d left the book in my room for me to find. Grams probably hadn’t thought of me since kicking me out. After all, she had better things to do.

I read on.

When I’m gone, you will move heaven and earth to find out what I was up to and what happened to me. If all goes well, you won’t find so much as a molecule of my remains. (Which will drive you to distraction and please me just a little.) You can stop looking. If you can’t find any remains, that means I reached Shadow Hell.

I grunt. “Good for you, Grams. You killed yourself in order to go to Shadow Hell.”

Wait. Had she used Shadow magic to try to get to Shadow Hell? Practicing Shadow magic ensured she would go to Shadow Hell when she died. Another thought strikes and I yank my eye back to the line that reads If all goes well, you won’t find so much as a molecule of my remains. When a person dies, their body remains on the earthly plane and decays. Why hadn’t Grams’ body remained behind? Not just her body. Like she said, not so much as a molecule remained. Why?

Because she didn’t die.

I collapse against the chair back. This is fucking Twilight Zone shit. No one can go to Shadow Hell alive. Then why were no remains found? Did she disappear? What if someone kidnapped her and—

Now I’m being stupid. She didn’t disappear any more than she entered Shadow Hell without being dead. Though, if anyone could do find a way into Shadow Hell alive, it would be Grams. But what could she hope to accomplish? The next line reads:

I know, my old friend, that the god of the angels is locked in Hell.

What-the-fuck? I quickly reread the line and the one that follows.

I know, my old friend, the god of the angels is locked in Hell. Can you imagine the god’s bad luck to be visiting his son the Morningstar when the Hell Gates were locked all those eons ago?

God—The god who claims to have created this world—has been locked in Hell all these years? No way. No fucking way. The world would be overrun with demons, if that god weren’t around to keep them in check. But the thought niggles in a way I don’t like.