Hecate sat on a rock overlooking the plains of Hell. It was weird to be back here. It didn’t look like she remembered it, but she had trouble figuring out which parts had changed and which parts she didn’t remember well. She hadn’t been here in decades, and even back then she didn’t spend much time down in the nitty gritty. She’d always been down in the Pits, or she’d been in meetings with the other generals. Holy Hell, she’d hated those meetings. The last time she’d been here… a little smile played on her lips. That was a good memory.

 

Her phone buzzed and she looked at the text. Say what you will about Tartarus, you got good reception down here. She typed a quick response and tried to remember what it looked like when the fires burned and it was all wailing and gnashing of teeth. How she’d hated it. But this was different. Awful and wonderful at the same time, like an old worn-down amusement park. The Lake of Fire was just a foul-smelling lake, now. There were thorny crowns and pikes lying around. 

 

Hecate got up and drew a pentagram on the floor with a hand that sizzled, burned and glowed as it touched the black ash of Hell’s floor. She added a series of symbols around the edge of it, with a little flourish, almost as an afterthought. Finally, she took a step back, and clapped. With a sound like a cannon going off, but backwards, a young woman stood in the center of the Pentagram. She looked both shocked and excited. She was about eighteen, with a big head of curly hair, a red shirt with an orange vest, and a backpack. Glasses and Braces completed the picture.

 

“Good, you’ve made it!” Hecate said enthusiastically. “And you haven’t thrown up yet, which is excellent.” Most people didn’t manage the trip with a full stomach the first time, but Kelly seemed to be more resistant than most. 

 

Kelly looked around with big eyes. “Woah,” she said eloquently.

 

“It’s not what it used to be, but that’s probably for the best, honestly,” Hecate said. “The whole place has been abandoned for decades now. Nobody is going to disturb us here and I’m not going to ruin my garden by having you set fire to it.”

 

Kelly was still staring at everything with eyes wide open. “This is really… Hell?”

 

“Hell yeah!” Hecate said with a grin. “The Old Country. Downstairs. Tartarus, etcetera. Would you like a tour?”

 

Kelly nodded enthusiastically. Hecate had mentally prepared a walking route that would take them past some of the old “attractions”. Though not the Lake-Of-Of-Mostly-Egg-Smell. She walked the two of them through the Outer Dark, Gehenna, Abbadon and finally ended up at Sheol. “This is where we used to train, she said, looking out over the walled courtyards. 

 

She remembered briefly the sounds of clashing steel and claws, the smell of blood and sulfur. The bad old days stuck with her vividly, and there wasn’t a day she actively didn’t celebrate her choice to become, well, a conscientious objector. She was damn proud of that decision, but she couldn’t forget her past, couldn’t forget that this is where she came from. She’d spawned not far from here, in fact.

 

She’d trained in these very pits to become the monster they’d needed her to be, to lead the armies of hell into the final battle. She’d never been so proud to be a disappointment. She shook her head free of memories. Now was not the time. 

 

“I actually used to train here, a long time ago. I was… not a great student, at first, but I think I picked things up pretty quickly.”

 

“Is that how you became a witch? By training with... “ Sigh. Gasp. Whisper. “Devils.” Kelly’s eyes were wide open in awe. Hecate rubbed the bridge of her nose. This was going to be a fun one. She was going to have to have a talk with Scarlett. 

 

“Okay, so, first of all, how much did Scarlett tell you?”

 

Kelly walked around the courtyard, trying to imagine the old history of the place. Hecate hoped dearly that she was failing, that she was imagining Ancient Greek gladiators training. Not the grueling punishment that devils and demons inflicted on each other in the hopes of gaining the strength that had been required for the final battle. 

 

“Not much, Ms. H. Just that you could… help teach me stuff? Like how you taught Allyssa to turn Scarlett into a girl.”

 

Oh for the love of… Scarlett and Allyssa were both going to get a stern talking to. 

 

“... right. And what do you want to be able to do that for?”

 

Kelly looked a little demure, like her mother had just asked her why there were crumbs on her jacket. 

 

“Well…”

 

“If you’re going to be turning your classmates into girls they’re going to find out it was you eventually, Kelly. This isn’t about having silly hijinks and soap-opera fun. This is about real power, so think about your answer, here. I need to know you’ve thought this through. That you’re taking this seriously.”

 

Kelly nodded. She wasn’t as excited as she’d been just seconds ago. Her whole attitude changed, from bouncy and curious to… downcast. Dour, even. She looked very small and very weak, suddenly.

 

“It’s just... “ Kelly paused and took off her backpack, put it in the spot Hecate had designated. “My brother is very sick, Ms. H.”

 

“Oh no. Honey, I’m so sorry.” Hecate sat on a stone bench that still had dark stains on it she preferred not to think about, and looked at Kelly. This wasn’t what she’d signed up for but Hecate was nothing if not a mom. Whatever Kelly had come down here to do, if she needed to talk then Hecate was going to Damn well listen; “Do you want to tell me about it?”

 

Kelly shook her head. She didn’t look like she was going to cry. She looked tired. Much more tired than girls her age ought to be. She had the same thousand-yard-stare that Hecate had seen thousands of times in these very fields. Kelly sat down next to her, staring at the ground, arms limply by her sides. “The doctors have just kind of given up. Talking about ‘making him comfortable’ and stuff. He’s just… He deserves more time, you know?”

 

Hecate put a hand on Kelly’s back, the weight of which she hoped was reassuring. For the longest time, Hecate’d had a deep distaste for the randomness of what felt like Hellish Punishment. Her being vocal about it had been what had originally brought her and Gabrielle together, in fact. She clenched and unclenched her jaw, trying to think of what she could say and should say, in this specific situation. “I’m sure he knows he’s been loved, Kelly. That you did what you could to make him happy. Is he your younger or older brother?”

 

Kelly didn’t move much, just stared ahead. “He’s five, Ms. H.”

 

No.

 

Hecate stood up and grabbed Kelly and pulled her in close in the kind of embrace that promised that, when it’s over, the hug would stay with you for the rest of the day. Her eyes shot thunder and lightning and all the anger of a true Hellborn Demon up in a look so foul it would have struck down an angel if it had been in eyesight. Quietly, because she didn’t want to upset Kelly. Kelly who was sobbing quietly in her arms. When she was done here she and Gabrielle were going to have another one of their talks with people up there. This would not stand.

 

“Right. Well, Kelly.” She held the girl at arms length by the shoulders. Kelly’s face was wet from tears, but her face was still. Hecate kneeled in front of her, to catch her gaze. Slowly, Kelly focused. 

 

“It’s time to teach you some Witchcraft.”

 

And then someone is going to pay, she thought. 

 

---

 

“Mom! I thought you were going to like, wipe her mind or something?!”

 

“Then why didn’t you say so?” Hecate said innocently, cradling a cup of coffee with a bit of extra chocolate in there. After their little teaching session, Kelly had gone home. With what Hecate had been able to teach her, Kelly’s little brother would be stabilized. Another class or two and Kelly’s brother would heal miraculously. Hecate didn’t really care about the repercussions. She was angry and tired and upset and she deserved a little chocolate.

 

“You should have said something, tater tot. Besides…”

 

“You should talk to Kelly. She’s a good kid.” She sipped her coffee again. “Do you… you know anything about her home life?”

 

Scarlett shook her head. “Not really.”

 

Hecate sighed. This wasn’t her conversation to have, but maybe she could ask Kelly if it was okay to share with Scarlett. They could both use more friends in school. 

 

“She’s gonna be by again tomorrow. Talk to her a bit, okay? By the way, you and Allyssa should order some food.”

 

Scarlett flopped over onto the couch, already texting Allyssa and trying not to look too excited for a night alone with Allyssa. 

 

“Oh? Aren’t you staying home?”

 

Hecate shook her head. “Gabrielle is coming around after work.”

 

“Oh?” Scarlett said playfully, raising her head. “Are you guys going on a daaaate?”

 

When Scarlett looked at her mother, what she saw terrified her, and she knew not to ask any more. Hecate smiled at Scarlett with every part of her face except for her eyes. Those still had a bit of murder in them.

 

“Something like that.”