Pagan Eyes: Initiation

Initiation is a book one of the Pagan Eyes series, which centers on the Carpenter family. Each tale deals with the difficulties of being a witch along with bullying, rape, suicide, sexual identification, depression, and divorce. Every story functions as a stand-alone book that combines current issues with time travel and magick.
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Initiation is Leah’s story. The reticent high school junior is working on an essay on intolerance when she stumbles into another century. Leah’s unexpected visit into the past throws her into local girl’s body. Leah discovers crushing on the local minister’s son is cake compared to Arabella’s situation. Lionel, Arabella’s former beau, is the head witch catcher and anxious to dispose of his old love. None of it makes sense because Leah doesn’t have the memories to go with Arabella’s body.
* * * *
Leah’s grandmother, a fortuneteller, uses tea leaves to understand what’s happening to her youngest granddaughter. Someone close to Leah will betray her. She may find herself caught in trap. New love is on the horizon, which is the only cheerful tidbit. The most disheartening piece of information is that her visits back to the past will continue until she fulfills her purpose there. No one has bothered to illuminate her on what the purpose is.
* * * *
She can barely sleep at night troubled by dreams and fear that she may pop out of this century. It was already hard enough to get her father to allow her to drive the family car, but this will make it even more difficult. Arabella who may or may not be a long dead relative of hers was definitely a mean girl of her time, which doesn’t bode well for Leah’s continued health.
* * * *
The Carpenter family pools together their collective magickal abilities and calls in help too. Soon cars with bumper stickers that read Friend of the Fae and My Other Vehicle is a Broom crowd the driveway. Nora, Leah’s older sister, returns home to prepare Leah for the ritual. She guides her through the bath and meditation. During meditation, Leah discovers that one of the three accused witches will betray her.
* * * *
Leah reappears along a forest path with the three accused witches without a clue who to trust. Unlike Vegas, what happens in the past can hurt her and ultimately kill her. It’s a big change from worrying about her geometry grade and the likelihood of Dylan asking her out.
* * * *
Leah is calmly walking into a trap until sunlight bouncing off armor alerts her. Her flight ends outside a small cottage in the woods where a bearded man calls her by name. He tells her he’s been waiting for her and introduces himself as Buell Hare, her grandfather who disappeared years ago.
* * * *
Inside the cottage, they use the scrying mirror to see why Lionel turned against Arabella even wanting to kill her. As grandfather readies her for the final mission, he explains only she can accomplish what needs to be done as Arabella. The last information she gets before seeking out Lionel is that Arabella is pregnant.
* * * *
Leah must return in twenty-four hours before the time portal blinks out of existence. The grand battle is one of words and hearts as Leah in Arabella’s pregnant body tries to convince her old beau she’s been faithful to him, although evidence seems contrary. The townspeople listen as she explains that the abbot is manipulating everyone in town by stirring up suspicion against the powerless. The abbot emerges from the shadows with his own demonic henchman whose sole purpose is to rid the world of one more troublesome witch.
* * * *
There is tumultuous climax involving a golden dragon and a hard run to the time portal before it’s too late. Both grandfather and Leah make it back to the modern world. Leah has more than enough experience to write her report on intolerance and time to go out with Dylan.

(This book also sets the stage for the next book, Revelation, which is Nora’s story.)