Initiation 19

Chapter Thirteen

Leah wanted to hear their story. In a way, it was her story, too. Often, souls re-enacted the same scenes from previous lifetimes until they managed to get it right. Some reincarnation theories believed you met the same souls from previous lifetimes in other bodies, which explained why you might meet a total stranger and have an immediate dislike for them. On the other hand, you could meet a spouse or a lover from a previous lifetime and feel an immediate pull. They were your soul mate.

The door opened, allowing a rush of cool air and a sliver of darkness in, along with Simon. He sat near enough for Leah to notice his thoughts consisted of her being the granddaughter of the great wizard. He was trying. She’d give him that. Grandfather acknowledged him with a nod but continued speaking.

“Lionel’s family was the only noble family in the area. There were some successful merchants, but no other nobles nearby. It wasn’t surprising that Lionel played with the local children. As a boy and the third son, he was of little importance.” Grandpa stopped long enough to stare into his cup with a frown, and he reached for the kettle to pour more tea into his mug.

Leah thought about her little brother, who was the third child and a boy. No way could you have ignored him. As if he would ever let you. “Why didn’t they pay much attention to him?”

“In noble families, it is all about passing on the name. You need male children to do that.”

Leah snorted her thoughts on the custom, but circled her hand for him to continue when Grandfather looked at her questioningly.

“The heir and the spare, they like to call the first two sons. The first one takes over the title and the estate. The second trains for the military. Reginald went to school to learn how to run the estate and make the important connections he needed with other first sons. Archibald, the second son, went to a different household to learn to be a knight. This ensured more connections for the family. The more connections you have, the better off you are. In a time of attack or need, you can call on your connections.”

Simon spoke out, startling Leah because she’d forgotten he was there. “Boys must learn a craft to survive. Farming is for the firstborn because the land goes to the firstborn. No land grants in my family.”

Leah turned to look at the young man sitting cross-legged on the floor. “Did you decide you wanted to be a wizard and searched for my grandfather?”

Simon looked down as he answered, making his reply a little hard to hear. “The miller was my master. He found fault with my work and beat me.”

Grandfather explained more. “He ran into the woods and became lost. He wandered for days, hungry and hurt. Simon was fearful to return to the miller, who would beat him more for deserting his post. I sent a wild creature out to bring him to me.”

Simon made a rueful expression, mumbling something about a pack of wolves.

A smile flitted across Grandfather’s face as he regarded the sullen boy. “The wolves were my last resort. I sent birds, a raccoon, even a bunny, but you ignored them all.”

“Not true,” Simon complained. “I hoped to catch the hare for supper.”

Grandfather shook his head. “That was two or three years ago. Simon has become a talented apprentice in the intervening time. Where was I in the story?”

“You were…” both Simon and Leah started together. Simon gestured for her to continue.

“The part about Lionel and how his family didn’t pay too much attention to him,” Leah prompted.

Stroking his beard for a moment, his eyes glittered with amusement. “I was trying to remember what things were like back in the twentieth century. Children were kings whose parents carted them around to numerous events for their benefit. Parents trumpeted their achievements, no matter how minor, as if they were gods who’d managed to create a new planet. Are things still about the same?”

“Worse in some ways,” Leah admitted, wrinkling her nose as if she smelled something nasty.

“Here in this time, people do not fuss over their children. They try to avoid attachment because many die before five years of age. Often, the children don’t get a name until they turn two.”

Leah hated interrupting, but she had to know. “Why don’t they name the children?”

Simon volunteered the information with enthusiasm. “You are often named after someone in the family. If the child dies, the name is wasted.”

“So for a while,” Grandfather continued as if not interrupted, “most children roam free. For non-noble children, there might be chores to do to help maintain the household, but adult life comes fast. Boys often apprentice as young as ten. While girls often marry as early as twelve. Lionel had more freedom than most with no chores to bind him and an indulgent mother. Both her other sons were sent away early, and she wanted to hold on to this last son as long as she could. Since he was for the church, once he left she might not see him again or very seldom. Her oldest would manage the estate. Her second born could visit between battles, but once the church has you, it is as if you have no family.”

Leah thought it sounded rather ominous, rather like going to prison. She said nothing because she did not want to interrupt the tale.

“Lionel knew all the children of the village. His kind manner made him a favorite of the girls, along with his handsome appearance. The boys tolerated him. To do otherwise would have resulted in repercussions to their families. He must have sensed this. He spent less and less time rough housing with the boys and more time with the girls, especially Arabella. Most everyone in the village knew they were special friends. Her family warned Arabella not to make too much of it, while hoping there might be a way to gain from an alliance.”

Sucking in her lips, Leah knew there was a hidden message there. “I don’t understand.”

“Ahh,” Grandfather breathed the word as he obviously stalled. “Girls are not considered valuable in this time. The best you can do with a girl child is to broker good marriage to increase your wealth or connections. Even though Arabella was a pretty child, they didn’t expect Lionel to marry her. He was noble and intended for the church. His family held to the Catholic faith. Priests don’t marry. Still, they also wondered about the possibility of a child. If Lionel had a child with Arabella, it would be a child of noble blood. His family would feel obligated to take care of it, especially his mother. This was risky, but they knew Lionel’s mother well. She’d relish another child.”

“What?” Leah may have raised her voice. “I don’t get it. They wanted their daughter to be little more than a teen mom.”

Simon watched the words fly between her and her grandfather and grinned. Was he smiling because Leah was so ignorant of the morals of this time? She decided against scanning his mind, afraid of what she might find.

Grandfather picked up the kettle and indicated her cup. She held out her cup as he poured and talked. “This was only an option. It never occurred. Still, there was deep affection between Arabella and Lionel. First love on Lionel’s part, while Arabella’s love grew in absentia.”

“That makes no sense. How could she love him more when he was gone?” Leah wondered, since she often heard people tended to forget crushes once they left the scene.

“Keep in mind, she was young when Lionel left, not ready for marriage, but she would eventually have to marry. Her family encouraged several different suitors, good men with portions to ensure a decent life for the fair Arabella, but she chose none of them. She claimed none were as sweet, handsome, or as thoughtful as Lionel. Desperate families often resort to desperate measures. Arabella was developing a name as a difficult woman because she had chosen none of her suitors. Still, she was the most beautiful woman in the area, which caused the single women of the village to dislike her. Ah, women. Are they still the same in your time, Leah?”

She was tempted to say worse, thinking of Cerberus, the three mean girls in her time, but she was unsure how bad the women in this time were. “What happened to Lionel?”

Simon leaned forward as if to hear well. “They bundled him off to church, did they not?”

“They did,” Grandfather acknowledged. “There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth from both Lionel and his mother. It was not a pretty scene, which only reassured his sire it was past time for Lionel to join the good brothers. The church, especially the Catholic one, has nothing good to say about women. In fact, they credit them with sin, temptation, and any other evil. Inside the cloistered walls, Lionel’s heart was hardened against his former love.”

“I saw it.” Leah wanted to share the details of her dream or vision with someone who’d understand and would be better able to explain it to her. “Lionel sat with an abbot, I think. He poured water into a silver-lined bowl and did some sort of divination for Lionel. In it, he showed Arabella playing him false with some bearded man. I knew at the time this was a conjured image. Later, he offered Lionel wine in which he stirred in some powder.”

“The Black Abbot is a bad one for sure. His heart is against all humankind, but he also uses the magickal arts to promote his own greed for power and wealth. He probably strangled puppies as a boy.”

The thought made her shudder. “Isn’t he a priest? I didn’t think they believed in spells and magick.”

“There has always been magick. There are even laws on the books about not using magic for nefarious purposes. It is still there for people who care to research. Ironically, in the last hundred and fifty years, people managed to forget this. All our current Christian holidays were originally rituals to welcome seasons, to encourage fertility, to show gratitude.

The Catholic Church printed out pamphlets showing lurid depictions of people tortured by witches and demons to turn people against everyday intentional magick. This encouraged people’s natural fears. It also stamped out the natural magick people used to hunt and plant crops. Who would want to suffer a painful, ignoble death as a witch?” Grandfather’s expression appeared unfocused.

Wiping his eyes with his hand, he said, “Religion has always been used to manipulate the populace for the benefit of one or two people. People swarm to their bidding, expecting a heavenly reward or afraid of a hellish torment. Too many good people have died in the name of religion. Their only crime was they were in the way.” He sighed deeply and folded his hands.

Leah wondered if that was the end of the tale. Was there more? She wanted to understand the part she played. Should she ask? She hated to bother her grandfather, who appeared to be off on another plane. Maybe he was witnessing the deaths of those who’d managed to get in the way of new dominant religions. It always amazed her how people never seemed to have a clue how religions came and went, often having the same claims as the previous ones. Still, this particular one involved her life and her ability to continue to live in the twenty-first century as opposed to dying in some medieval backwater village.

“I hear you, child.” Grandfather pinned her with his intense stare. “I am sorry for your suffering. In this time and the other, I’ve done what I could. I could not prevent all harm to you or Arabella. For that, I apologize.”

His ominous words gave her goose bumps on her arms, and her stomach rolled. “Do I die here?”

“Arabella dies here, as she should because people do not live forever. Her death can be meaningful, as opposed to just another statistic, just another woman accused of being a witch. There are no creatures as evil as the witch catchers are. They defame, humiliate, torture, and kill in the name of religion.” He turned to spit in the direction of the fire.

Okay. Arabella died in this time, which she understood. Her issue was that people kept confusing her for Arabella. Was Arabella running around at this time, too? Did Leah somehow take her place? Was she supposed to make some bold statement to Lionel before she died? She understood less than she had before. She had the feeling she’d never get to go out with Dylan. It had nothing to do with him liking her, but more to do with being alive.

“Grandfather, I’m not sure what happens to me. I’m not sure if I take Arabella’s place. Do we exist at the same time? Am I inside Arabella, looking out? If so, do I die with Arabella? I don’t want to die.” Her voice trembled as she spoke the words. She tried not to cry, but a few tears slipped out.

“Ah, my sweet, precious granddaughter,” he said and stood. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her into his embrace. “I came here to rescue you.”

He fingered the sleeve of her robe. “Look at this gown of yours. It crackles with protection magick so heavy it would sear a normal man.” He pointed to the medallion. “I never thought to see that necklace off Esmeralda’s neck. There are centuries of magic in that one charm. Do not underestimate the power in yourself. You have much. Then there is the most powerful magick of all.” He tightened his embrace.

She hated to ask, certain she should know the answer. “What is this powerful magick ?”

He loosed his embrace, stepped back, and gazed at her in surprise. “Really, Leah? The most powerful magick is love. Even though the abbot did his best to turn Lionel’s love into hate, he still wants to love her. Remind him of that love.”

“I don’t know.” Turning her back on her grandfather, she began to pace the small room, skirting the still-seated Simon. “I think this is too hard for me. Why can’t someone else do it?”

“Trust me, Leah. I’ve tried everything I’ve known and have improvised a few other things I wasn’t too sure of, but nothing changed. This isn’t my destiny. It’s yours.” His voice and manner were solemn, giving his words an air of finality.

It looked like there was no way to get out of this. It was similar to the time she’d transferred to a new school the day they were doing the presidential fitness challenge. It hadn’t mattered that she had just gotten over the flu. She’d still had to do it. Of course, this was ten times worse. “Can you promise I won’t die?”

“No.”

The one word settled on her like a weight, stopped her pacing, and pressed her to the ground. He wasn’t supposed to say that. Didn’t he have a clue what grandfathers were supposed to be like? Where were her words of cheer?

Grandfather walked to where she’d collapsed and held out his hand. It was obvious she could expect no coddling. She often thought of herself as an adult. It was time to start acting like one. She took his hand and allowed him to pull her up. He ushered her back to the chair and waited until she sat before resuming his seat.

“I’ve done the calculations, consulted the stars, and even used my scrying mirror without any definite results. There are three possibilities.” He held up his index finger.

“You do whatever it is you are supposed to do and then return to me at this cottage. We blink back to modern time together.”

That sounded good. She could do that. “And the others?”

He held up two fingers. “The second is you do whatever is needed, and you blink back into your time the way you have before. I follow through the portal.”

“Okay. I am good with that.” Then there was the third possibility. It would probably be the one she liked the least. “What is the third?”

“Ah, yes, that one.” Grandfather stalled by beetling his brows, flaring his nostrils, and finally he spoke. “You die here.”

That was the one she liked the least. No doubt about it.

Shaking his head, he apologized. “I am sorry to upset you. It is better to be prepared. This may be the mission of your existence, the reason you were born.”

She’d hoped for something better, even the opportunity to fall in love, have a career, and possibly be a mother. Dying in the wrong century in a case of mistaken identity had never ever entered her mind. “I was hoping to do something noble, like cure cancer,” she attempted to joke.

“I understand,” he said. “If you are successful, many lives could be saved. These senseless killings will be stopped.”

Leah was more concerned about one life, hers. Would it be petty to want to live if she could prevent others from dying? You might as well call her petty. “What is this thing I do to prevent others from dying?”

“I am glad you asked.” Her grandfather tried for a smile but failed. His expression took on a painful mien. “You have to convince Lionel he’s been tricked, led astray with all these tales of witches killing babies, drinking the blood of sleeping people, and flying through the night.”

“He actually believes that?” It was hard for Leah to accept. True, there were times she wished she could fly.

Her grandfather nodded.

“There’s one problem. Lionel is some type of addict. He looks horrible. I’d call him a meth head only I don’t think it has happened yet. His pupils are tiny even in low light. He has bags under his eyes. His skin is sallow and just hangs on his skinny body. When he talks, it is sometimes hard to understand him, which just makes him angrier. Everyone knows you can’t reason with an addict.” Did her grandfather think she had superhuman powers? The last noble thing she’d done was stand up for Jeremy, and that had been impulsive. If she’d thought it out, she’d never have done it.

“That does sound like an addict, which can be good and bad. Their minds tend to drift, which makes it hard for him to keep focused on killing witches. On the other hand, the abbot probably motivates him with additional fixes. The bad thing is reaching him in a coherent moment.”

Did that make things better? Actually, no. She sucked in her lips, wondering what she should do. “The drug is mixed in wine. If he isn’t drinking wine, he should be okay.” She knew better, but tried to find a tiny window of hope.

“Maybe.” Grandpa said the word in a considering manner as he stroked his long beard. “You must convince him you still love him and that you waited for his return. Let him know he’s mistaken about the witches. There is a small problem, though, which will make him doubt you.”

This didn’t sound good. Instinct told her not to ask, but it was better to be prepared than ambushed. “The problem is?”

“You’re pregnant.”

“I’m pregnant!” She patted the gown over her flat stomach. “I can assure you I am not pregnant. I know what is required to create a baby. Trust me, it hasn’t occurred. We move too much for it to happen. Technically, I haven’t even been on an actual date.”

“Not you. Arabella. When Lionel looks at you, he’ll see Arabella, big with child. That is the reason she is still alive. The child is innocent of the mother’s crimes, so Arabella cannot be killed until she delivers.”

Great. This was worse than a soap opera. “Is it Lionel’s child?”

“No.” Her grandfather shook his head. “Arabella was raped, which isn’t too uncommon considering how pretty she is. You can tell him the truth. He might believe you. Rape is quite common, as is sexual abuse.”

Every word her grandfather spoke made her mission even more impossible. “Okay, here’s what I have. My job is to convince Lionel of my enduring love while my belly is big with some other man’s child. I also have to convince him the religion he’s pledged his life to is misguided and is killing innocent people. Is that about it?”

“Keep in mind, many thousands are directing intention energy your way,” her grandfather reminded.

Way to pile on the guilt. I will be letting down thousands if I don’t sacrifice myself.  She used her sleeve to wipe the cold sweat off her forehead. “It will be a piece of cake,” she said, knowing she’d never spoken a bigger lie in her life.