Divine Blue [Book One]

Chapter Twelve

Taylor was barely able to wake before she felt her body being hurled from the bed where she was sleeping with Adrienne. She was lifted by her back and was hanging face down above the bed, looking at Adrienne who was still sleeping soundly. She heard Samuel's voice behind her.

"Taylor, it's time for your first lesson."

"Wait! Wait. I can't leave her. She'll be by herself."

"She is protected, and she will not wake. You will be back before morning."

Before Taylor could respond or ask any questions, they were suddenly out of the house, speeding off into the night air. Are we flying? Is he carrying me, flying?

"How did you find me?"

"I can always find you, Taylor."

Taylor looked below her and saw the tops of homes and trees as they blazed past them. They began to slow down and descend as they neared a large, Victorian style building. It was dark and impressive under the bright moon.

Taylor's and Samuel's feet landed on the lawn outside of what appeared to be the front door of the building. She heard Samuel's footsteps as he moved around to face Taylor.

"I am sorry that I can't give you more warning than I do," he said to her.

"Do you normally just snatch people up in the middle of their sleep like that?"

"Yes, sometimes I must. But things will change."

"Are you sure Adrienne is going to be OK while I'm not there?"

"I assure you, she is safe."

"Thank you. And you promise she won't wake up while I'm not there? I don't want her to flip out."

"She will not wake up. We are keeping her in a deep sleep until we return you to her," Samuel told her. "We must enter the building now, Taylor."

Taylor stepped in behind Samuel as he led the way to the front door. They climbed the front steps, the wooden boards creaking beneath them, to the covered porch. Taylor scanned every inch of the building that she could see. It looked more like someone's home. Granted, it looked like whoever owned the home had stopped taking care of it decades ago.

Samuel stopped in front of the dark, wooden door and grabbed the knocker in his hand. He pounded it three times against the solid door. It slowly swung open at the conclusion of his last knock. He looked back at Taylor as if to ensure she was still behind him.

Samuel calmly walked through the doorway, while Taylor hesitantly gave her foot over to the threshold and eased the rest of herself through. It was warm inside. She saw a fire burning in the large stone hearth in the center of the room. There were candles lit throughout, dripping wax onto tables and other furnishings. It was eerie how empty the house was against all of the flames that were flickering within it.

Taylor suddenly saw another pair of bright, white eyes appear in a dark, unlit corner of the room. The eyes suddenly rose by two feet or more, simultaneously growing bigger as they moved closer within the room. A figure emerged from the shadows, suddenly illuminated as the light from the fire fell upon it.

"Taylor, this is Sarai. She will guide you through the most fundamental aspects of your gifts, channeling your angelic energy into action."

"Hello, Taylor," Sarai said to her. She, like Samuel, appeared poreless. She had perfectly porcelain skin and white hair. She was dressed in a plain, black pencil dress. Why do they all look like they belong in a corporate office somewhere?

"Hi," Taylor said as she awkwardly waved at Sarai.

"I'm going to spend most of this evening going over some history so that we can start our next lesson with you having provided some background."