Divine Blue [Book One]

Chapter Twenty-One

Taylor sat across from Sandra at the breakfast cafe, sipping on her fresh coffee and looking at the menu. Nothing sounded even remotely appetizing. She mostly considered this an exercise in futility, a meal only to satisfy Sandra. Normally, Taylor was salivating at the thought of waffles and bacon.

"Know what you want?" Sandra asked her from across the booth.

"No idea. I'm pretty much just eating to live at this point," Taylor told her.

Sandra cast a disapproving glance at Taylor.

"I'm sorry. That was overdramatic."

"I know eating is probably the last thing on the list when you're heartbroken, but you need your energy."

Their waitress walked over to the table. She pulled the guest check pad from her apron and popped the bubble gum that was in her mouth. "You girls know what you want?"

Sandra motioned over for Taylor to start.

"Ummm..." Taylor let out as she looked back down at the menu. "I will take an order of sausage and some hash browns."

"That it?" the lady asked as she scribbled down the order.

"Yes, ma'am."

"What about for you?" the waiter asked looking over at Sandra.

"The breakfast medley, please," Sandra told her.

"As is?" the waitress asked.

"As it is. I'm easy to please," Sandra said to her, smiling.

The waitress smirked scribbling down Sandra's order and grabbed their menus. "We will have that out for you as quick as we can," she said walking away.

"She's a ray of sunshine, isn't she?" Sandra asked Taylor, smiling and sipping on her own coffee.

***

Sarai was sitting on the old, dusty sofa in the living area of the house. Samuel was seated across from her in a large chair from another era.

"I sense Taylor is distraught," Samuel said to Sarai.

"As we expected her to be, Samuel," Sarai casually said to him.

"Does she know why she must steer away from the one she is guarding?"

"She only knows that it interferes with the cause."

"Taylor is smart and intuitive. She will begin questioning the specifics of her relationship with the mortal she is protecting."

"That may be so, Samuel. But I expect you will carry with you a degree of discretion in your interactions with her?"

"As has been commanded of me by The Council, I have not revealed more than is necessary in our exchanges."

"Excellent. You will be going to retrieve her for this evening's lesson?"

"As you requested, yes, I will."

"Is there some skepticism in your voice, Samuel?"

"I'll admit, in these last few weeks, I have begun to empathize with human emotion. I feel as if there is severity in our approach with Taylor."

"Taylor needs to feel the weight of our work here. We'll achieve this however we must."

***

Taylor had spent a full day with Sandra. They went to see the latest rom-com at the local theater, shared a bucket of popcorn, and even cried a little at the mushy spots. Taylor found this involved very little effort on her part.