In Ultimate Magic, the Moon patron gives the witch darkness at level 2.
Darkness normally can't be cast until level 3 as it is a second level spell.
Does this mean darkness is a first level spell for a witch, or that she doesn't get to cast her patron spell for another level?
All other patron spells granted at level 2 are first level spells.
Two 'answers':
1. RAW, specific trumps general, so as it's currently written, she would get to cast it at the level the patron grants it to her.
2. It was probably a mistake - although it's possible thematically that they just couldn't come up with a good 1st level patron spell for Moon and so gave them Darkness earlier...
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This isn't a totally unheard of thing if they are getting Darkness as a 1st level spell. I believe the Air Elemental Wizard School (or whatever it's called) from Ultimate Combat also gives a spell that's normally a 6th or 7th level spell as a 5th level spell. I believe there's a few other instances of this in other schools, bloodlines, or domains. I'm not in fornt of my books at the moment, but I can grab those references a bit later if no one else pops in to supply them.
Lots of things do this type of thing (grant access to spells at non-standard spell level).
Bloodlines, Patrons, Domains, etc.
Unfortunately, it's often the case that it's not made clear that Spell Levels are being changed,
especially when the Spell Level isn't directly referenced at all (e.g. just indicating the class level you learn the spell),
so this isn't outside the norm, it is the norm.
Note that Darkness as a 1st level spell is theoretically less useful vs. a 2nd level version
since Spell Level determines how Light/Dark spells cancel or overpower each other...
although since few people would KNOW that it isn't the 2nd level Darkness spell,
you may end up with the benefit of the doubt, either them not bothering or 'wasting' a higher level spell then they need.
Dancing Lanterns is the same level and could be used to counter/dispel this (if they tried),
but outside of counter/dispel, the rules seem to give priority to Darkness,
i.e. Light spells need to EXCEED the level of a Darkness spell to raise the light level, while Darkness spells have no such limitation.
(although Daylight specifically cancels out magical darkness regardless of level, reverting to prevailing light conditions).
Sort of confusing how there is a general rule, but it works differently for dispel vs. simply simultaneously overlapping spells, and then Daylight further creates it's own exception... Although that's higher level than normal Darkness anyways.