Divine Blue [Book One]

Chapter Eight

Adrienne parked the car in Taylor's driveway and looked over at Taylor with both longing and sadness. "It's only a few days into Junior year, and I feel like it's been months already. But I'm excited to see where this year takes us. Text me later?"

"Of course! Text me first? Let me know you got home safely?" Taylor asked Adrienne.

"Deal."

"Drive safe," Taylor said as she got up from her seat and blew Adrienne one last kiss.

Taylor heard Adrienne's car shift into drive again as she slipped through the front door. Taylor saw all of the lights on in the kitchen and found Sandra sitting at the kitchen island in front of her computer.

Sandra turned her head in Taylor's direction. "Burning that midnight oil, aren't you?" Sandra asked her, laughing.

Taylor looked up at the clock above the kitchen sink. "It's barely after 9, Crazy!"

Sandra took her glasses off and took a good look at Taylor. "I'm messing with you. But I can't tell you how happy I am that you're getting out and meeting people."

"I don't want you to think that I don't want to be here with you."

"Oh, Baby, I don't think that at all. You're a young lady. This is what you're supposed to be concerned with right now. Not your old lady mother."

"I'm always concerned with my old lady mother. I love you."

"I love you, too, Sweetheart. Going to bed?"

"Yeeeesssss! After last night, I need some actual sleep."

"Well, sleep tight, and let me know if you need anything. I'm going to be up a while finishing up part of this filing."

"Thanks! Don't stay up too late, though."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Taylor ran up the stairs to her room and switched on the light. Her ceiling fan whirred, and her eyes immediately found her pajamas laying on her bed. Taylor felt relaxed just looking at them.

As Taylor began undressing, she heard something behind her. She turned around and saw Samuel standing behind her, his gaze set past Taylor to the bedroom wall beyond her. She gasped and immediately grabbed her pajama shirt to cover her nude upper body.

"My apologies, Taylor," Samuel said to her. His deep voice was even and measured.

"You have the worst timing of anyone I've ever met." Taylor turned back around and put the shirt over her head to fully cover herself.

"As I mentioned at our last meeting, these appearances are pre-determined." Samuel told her.

"Well, whoever is in charge of scheduling deserves to be fired," Taylor told him as she sat on the edge of her bed.

"I don't understand that statement."

"Never mind. What are you here for this time?"

"I'm here to reveal more to you about your responsibilities and about how you came to be. I trust that you received the message I sent to you earlier this evening?"

"What message?"

"I assume you experienced a vision of the dream you continually had as a child and gained memory of your powers?"

"The one with the lady?" Taylor though. "Did I turn on the lamp?" she asked, pointing to her own chest.

"You did. You have never had the ability to harness your gifts appropriately, as you were not taught to do so. But in moments of heightened human emotion, your gifts, while unguided, will manifest themselves."